Moon Hound
by DeanneYunFarron
Summary: A.U. Deucalion's Alpha pack has another member: Alannah. Treated like a daughter and a sister, she turns her back on the one she considered her father once she realizes how far he's fallen. Derek and the others are reluctant to trust her, but one new member of his pack is instinctively drawn to her. But is Alannah truly done with the Alphas? Cora/O.C. pairing. Femslash.
1. The Other Alpha

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf, or the characters. I own only my O.C. and any storylines that I may introduce.**

**Author's Note: Sup. So, I've been up to my earlobes in all things Teen Wolf, (I have a slight obsession with it right now) which includes re-watching the four episodes of season 3 multiple times to satisfy my need for Teen Wolf until the next episode comes out. However, one of the bigger reasons that I'm doing this is because of Adelaide Kane. Us Teen Wolf-ers know her as Cora Hale, and she is one of my all-time favorite actresses. She isn't super hella famous or anything like that, but there's just something about her that I find really awesome. Maybe it's the way she can pull off the sassy/sarcastic/snarky/other synonyms tough girl character. And that is SUPER HOT. At least, in my opinion, it is. So anyway, before this A.N. gets real lengthy, I'm gonna tell you guys why I decided to write this story. Simply put, it came to me in a dream. Well, parts of it. The other part is that after watching Deucalion's impromptu monologue (which was also extremely loud) about how he was the apex of apexes, blah blah blah, I'm awesome because my name is Gideon Emery (and he has every right to brag about that. I mean, HIS VOICE THOUGH…), I went online and looked up the mythology behind that. From what I was able to gather, it's loosely based on the legend of Fenrir (Norse mythology, for those who don't know :D ) who was the giant wolf that was supposed to defeat Odin during the events of Ragnarok, but would in turn be defeated by Odin's son. I don't know how much they're planning on following that legend (if this legend was even what they were going for, yanno?) but I did A LOT of reading on the legend. Then, I went to sleep and had a dream. In that dream, Deucalion was Fenrir, so to speak, but in his little Alpha Pack, he had another Alpha that was supposed to be like Hati, Fenrir's son, also identified as Managarm, the "Moon Hound". In this dream of mine, which was very detailed, this Hati-descendant-esque character was a girl, eighteen years old, and instead of being Deucalion's child or anything, they just had a relationship like it. I'm not gonna give too much away, but that was how the dream started. Lots of stuff happened in it, and that's why I'm writing this story. So, without further ado, read on, people!**

* * *

**Chapter One: The Other Alpha**

* * *

A light breeze was blowing through the trees, the leaves rustling to and fro. Besides that, the only sound that could be heard was the light pattering of footsteps on the forest floor.

The runner, a girl of eighteen, was moving faster than any normal human should be able to. She vaulted over gnarled roots and swung from overhanging branches with the ease and grace of a seasoned acrobat.

Suddenly, she stopped, coming to a soft landing in the middle of a clearing. She turned her nose upward and sniffed the air deeply, frowning when she recognized the scent.

"Ennis," she growled. "What are you doing following me?"

A man materialized from the shadows and approached her slowly, his huge and imposing form towering over her by several inches and his face wearing a casual smirk. "Deucalion sent me."

She rolled her eyes. "Damn it. The whole reason I ran this far out here was so that I _wouldn't _be followed."

Ennis shrugged. "I don't know why you're still trying. He always knows."

"Yeah, well, you can go ahead and tell him that you found me once you get back."

"You know I can't do that, Lanna."

She rubbed her face and groaned. "I know, I know! I'm so sick of him treating me like a damn child!"

Ennis' smirk grew slightly. "You're a child to us. Besides, you technically signed up for this. He laid out the terms and you agreed."

"I was fourteen! I was scared out of my hair and he was the first one I encountered who didn't immediately try to kill me! What the hell else was I supposed to do?"

"You made the kind of decision a child would make. So, you get treated like one," Ennis pointed out.

"I'm not a child anymore!"

"Only a child would do what you're doing now."

I waved his jab away. "Whatever. Can I continue running as far away as I can?"

"As much as I'd love to chase tail after you, this time is different. Deucalion wants you back, now."

"Is there any particular reason?"

Ennis nodded. "There is, actually. You know as well as all of us that we've kept a lot of things from you over the years, for your own safety and because you weren't old enough. There's a pretty large secret we've been keeping from you for the past few months, but we decided that it's time for you to know."

"Am I going to like this secret?"

"Probably not."

* * *

"Alannah," Deucalion greeted her as she walked through the door into his room. He was flanked by the twins and Kali, who were shifting nervously.

"Hey, Duke," she responded, nodding her head to the other three. "What's up with you guys?" she asked.

"They are…unsure of how you will react to what we're about to tell you," Deucalion answered.

Alannah frowned. "And what exactly are you about to tell me?"

"As you know, there is a reason we came here to Beacon Hills."

"Yeah, you're trying to get the new Alpha, Derek Hale, to join our cause, so to speak."

"Well, we knew he would not come to us of his own accord. We needed to provide an incentive."

Deucalion held out his hand and Kali placed a remote in it. He pointed the remote toward a T.V. screen Alannah hadn't noticed before and pressed a button.

The T.V. switched on. She could see a room with several rows of what looked like safety deposit boxes. "Is that a bank vault?"

Deucalion nodded. "Yes, but that is not what you needed to see." He pressed another button and the image on the screen changed. It was the same vault, but from a different angle. Now, Alannah could see two people: a tall and muscular dark-skinned guy and a shorter girl with auburn hair. "Who are they?"

"Boyd and Cora. Cora Hale."

"Cora Hale? As in, related to Derek Hale?"

"Yes. She is his younger sister. She was thought to have died in the Hale fire but as you can see, she somehow survived."

Alannah's frown deepened as she thought harder. "You…kidnapped them? To draw him out?"

"Yes, to draw out both him and his friends. And that is not all. The walls are made of hecatolite."

"Made of…moonstone? But, one of the most prominent properties of moonstone is that it refracts light." Alannah began pacing. The others stayed quiet, allowing her to figure it out on her own. "So, if it refracts light, that would mean the moon's rays wouldn't shine through all the way…" She paused and addressed Deucalion. "How long have they been in there?"

"Three months."

"Three months? That's three full moons! You haven't allowed them to shift for that long?" she practically yelled at him.

He regarded her calmly, paying no attention to her anger. "No, we have not allowed them to. Derek and his friends have only just figured out where they are. Now, when he finds them…"

"Boyd and Cora will rip him to shreds, all of them," Alannah finished. She slammed her fists down on the desk Deucalion sat behind. "How could you do that? Not being able to shift once is taxing on a werewolf as it is, but three times? This is _wrong_, Duke!"

"Enough!" Deucalion roared. Alannah shut up, but continued to glare at him. "I always knew you were softer than us, but this is too much. You need to harden yourself, Alannah, if you desire to continue to be a part of this pack."

She clenched her fist and snarled, her eyes flashing. "I…" All at once, the anger ebbed and she sighed, defeated. "I have nowhere else to go."

"Not exactly what I was looking for, but I suppose it will have to do. Now, I want you to go to the vault."

"Why?"

"I need to make sure that Boyd and Cora go free tonight. I already have Marin taking care of things, but I want you to go as well. Ensure that everything goes as planned."

"Why send me? Why not one of them?"

Deucalion gripped his walking stick and leaned forward. "You must learn to be more hard-hearted. Tonight shall be your first lesson."

* * *

"So, you're Marin, huh? Deucalion said you're supposed to be helping us out tonight."

"Yes, but to you, I'm Ms. Morrell." The ebony skinned woman smiled shortly at Alannah.

"_Ms._ Morrell? You a teacher or something?"

"Very close; I'm a guidance counselor at Beacon Hills High."

Alannah cocked an eyebrow. "Just a guidance counselor, eh? How'd you get mixed up with Deucalion and all of this?"

Ms. Morrell smiled. "I don't believe that's really your business, is it?"

"Well, you've got balls. You definitely need some of those to deal with ol' Duke."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now, back to the current task at hand. Did Deucalion mention what's to happen?"

"All he told me was that he needed me here to make sure everything went as planned."

Ms. Morrell nodded. "Well, we don't actually need to do anything right now except wait."

Alannah watched as the older woman removed a small pouch from one of the pockets on her jacket.

"What is that?" Alannah asked.

Ms. Morrell opened the pouch and gave Alannah a glance inside. Alannah's eyes widened. "That's mountain ash…but that means…"

"Yes. When the time comes, I'm to finish binding the circle."

Alannah looked at the closed door to the vault. "He's planning on trapping them in there. With Derek and his friends." She turned back to the guidance counselor. "Isn't he?"

She didn't respond. Suddenly, Alannah heard footsteps and her head whipped around. "Someone's coming," she whispered. "We need to hide."

They were able to hide in the shadows right on time. Two men hurried toward the vault. Alannah recognized one as Derek Hale and the other as Scott McCall from pictures that Deucalion had shown her.

Derek punched a hole right through the wall and he and Scott jumped through to confront Boyd and Cora.

Alannah wanted to listen, but she needed to get information out of Ms. Morrell first. "Why is Deucalion doing this?"

"What do you mean?"

"All of this; it seems like a lot of work for one Alpha."

"Well, you know how Deucalion is," Ms. Morrell answered mysteriously.

Alannah rolled her eyes. "That literally told me nothing."

Ms. Morrell suddenly left the hiding spot, Alannah rushing to follow her. The guidance counselor spun the lock on the vault door and Alannah pulled it out with ease. Ms. Morrell took a handful of mountain ash from the pouch and looked into the vault. Alannah followed her eyes and was met with the gaze of Scott McCall.

He seemed to have noticed the circle of mountain ash. He also seemed to notice the handful Ms. Morrell held in her hand. "No, wait!" he yelled.

She placed the handful on the ground, thereby finishing the circle. Ms. Morrell turned away and Alannah did as well, but not before casting a glance back into the vault. She saw two pairs of yellow eyes and heard a hell of a lot of snarling and gnashing of teeth.

"Don't kid yourself, Marin." Alannah's eyes snapped back to attention to see Deucalion standing next to the vault door, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere. "This is hardly the first time you've gotten your hands dirty." He collapsed his walking stick and held out a hand, Ms. Morrell placing her arm into his grasp. They began to walk away, but Alannah hesitated.

"Ali?" The two had paused and Deucalion was looking back at her. "Are you not coming?"

She cast one last thoughtful glance toward the vault. "Yeah, I'm coming."

* * *

**A/N: So, there you go. I know that it followed the episode "Chaos Rising" pretty dang closely, but I needed to establish the foundation for errything. I hope that's cool! I also hope everyone enjoyed reading it. Y'all should leave me a review and let me know what you liked, what you didn't, or if you have any questions or suggestions on what you'd possibly like to see. I will take any and all suggestions into consideration. Well, that's all for now. Deuces.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. I apologize for the fact that it was rather short. The subsequent chapters will not be this short.**


	2. Outcast

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

**Author's Note: I'll let y'all get to it. I don't have much else to say.**

**P.S. Except for the fact that I decided to skip past "Fireflies" and go straight for "Unleashed", seeing as the third episode didn't feature the Alpha pack at all.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Outcast**

* * *

"Forty-six!" I grunted and lowered myself to the ground once again, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of sweat dripping into my eyes.

"Forty-seven!" I held myself up for a couple of moments, breathing heavily. I really needed to start breathing throughout the exercise, instead of holding my breath for five at a time. Trying to perform the motion correctly as well as breathe properly was too much to think about for such a simple task.

"Alannah!"

I ignored the voice and lowered myself down again. "Forty-eight!"

"Alannah!" The voice sounded closer and more annoyed. I knew it was Kali, but I couldn't be bothered with her right now.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" she snarled from above me.

I looked up into her glowing red eyes. She really had an awful temper. "Not this time, no. I'm trying to finish working out and you're distracting me."

"That's too damn bad. When I call, you'd better answer me."

I got to my feet and dusted my palms off on my running shorts. "Oh, really? What'll happen if I don't?" I challenged.

Kali got in my face and bared her fangs. "Don't talk back to me!" she snarled.

I just smirked. "You don't scare me, you overgrown mutt."

"Now, Alannah, you shouldn't bait her like that. It was I who sent her to get you." Deucalion walked into the room, both hands resting on his walking stick.

I glanced at him. "Maybe next time you should tell _her _to play nice." I tapped Kali on the nose, chuckling when Kali gnashed her teeth, trying to bite off my finger. She _hated _it when I did that. Which was, of course, why I did it as often as I could.

"That's enough, Alannah," Deucalion warned.

"Fine, fine, I'll be the mature one here." I turned away and walked to the weights, picking up two fifty pound dumbbells. "What exactly did you want, Duke?" I asked as I began bicep curls.

"We are going to go pay Derek Hale and his dear sister a visit. I would like you to come along."

I sighed. "This is sounding suspiciously like another stupid lesson."

"It is a lesson yes, but they are far from stupid, Alannah. You need this."

I dropped the dumbbells to the ground, the resonating crash echoing around the large room. "I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

* * *

I could hear the alarm go off through the heavy door that currently separated us from Derek and his sister. "Well, there goes the element of surprise."

"Don't worry, Alannah. I want them to know we're here," Deucalion assured me.

Ennis and Kali were ahead of us. The brute of a man pulled the door open and snarled, running into the room. Kali went in not too long after. I chose to stay behind and help Deucalion walk. He was extremely sensitive when it came to his sight, or lack thereof. I always tried to help him when I could, seeing as I owe the man my life.

By the time we made it to the door, all the action was done. In the middle of the room, Kali had managed to thrust a broken piece of pipe through Derek's midriff. A large pool of blood was spreading underneath them, and stray droplets falling from Derek's mouth created splashes that added to the volume. Nearby, Ennis had Cora pinned to the ground with one beefy hand wrapped around her throat.

She met my eyes as I looked toward them and she sucked in a quick breath, her eyebrows furrowing together. I gave her an apologetic smile that dropped from my face quickly when Ennis noticed it.

"Is everyone quite finished?" Duke asked as he slowly walked down the stairs. He approached Derek and collapsed his walking stick, taking a seat on a vacant chair. Derek looked up at him, his breathing labored.

Deucalion grinned. "So, let's chat. I apologize for all this," he waved a hand toward Kali, "I asked her to be gentle-."

Kali twisted the pole slightly which caused Derek to cough. "This _is_ me being gentle."

God, I'd hate to see what she's like when she's rough.

Derek huffed a few times, barely able to make out the words. "Le-let her go."

Duke waved two fingers in Ennis' direction and he removed his hand from Cora's throat. She rolled to her feet and hurried toward Derek, but he shook his head at her. "No."

She stayed where she was, her eyes full of worry.

"See? We're not unreasonable people," Deucalion said.

"What do you want?" Derek asked. "You want to kill me?"

"You really think I'm that boring? Don't throw me in with sociopaths like your uncle. I'm a man with far more vision than simple murder. In fact, I'm here to show just how much vision a blind man can have." He took off his sunglasses as he spoke, his red eyes glowing.

Kali took the lull in action to twist the pipe even more. Derek coughed up more blood and Cora reacted. "Stop, you're killing him!" she cried.

Kali held up a finger. "Not yet, little sister. But I could. Who knows if it'll be five minutes or five hours before it's too late to take this thing out." She leaned over the pipe and smiled at Deucalion. "But, just to be on the safe side, Duke, you may want to hurry things up."

Deucalion raised his eyebrows. "Now you see the one problem with being in an Alpha pack: everybody wants to make the decisions. Me? I'm more about discovering new talents. Like you."

"Not interested," Derek huffed out.

"But you haven't even heard my pitch," Deucalion responded.

"You want me to kill my own pack?"

"No!" Deucalion sounded almost offended. "I want you to kill one of them. Then I won't have to ask you to kill the others; you'll do that on your own."

"I did it. Ennis did. Kali did. Tell them how it felt, Kali, to kill one of your own." I noticed how he didn't mention what I had done.

Kali smiled darkly. "Hmm…liberating."

At this point, I decided to tune Duke out. As much as I would have loved to hear all that he had to say to Derek, I wasn't really interested. You'd think that, as a werewolf, I had no choice but to hear everything within a mile radius of me. However, one thing I'd discovered I could do was focus entirely on one sound and ignore everything else. So, I chose to listen to whatever was going on outside: the wind blowing through the trees, the cars zooming to and fro, and the little twitters and squeaks from the animals that made their homes in the nearby forest.

Unfortunately, for some reason I couldn't really place, there were two sounds from inside I couldn't drown out: the sound of Derek's breathing becoming continuously more labored and…the sound of Cora's heartbeat?

"Alannah?" I snapped out of my daze to see everyone giving me odd looks. Well, except Derek and Cora. Derek for obvious reasons and Cora seemed too determined to burn a hole through Deucalion with her eyes.

"Huh?"

"You made an odd noise. Is there something you wish to say?" Duke demanded. I think he was just a tad bit angry that I interrupted his pitch.

"Oh, sorry, I was just…" I trailed off, not really having anything to say. Derek's breathing suddenly got louder in my ears. "Actually, there is one thing."

Deucalion didn't answer. He just cocked an eyebrow and waited for my response.

"Maybe…maybe we should pull that pipe out of him? From what I can hear, it'll be too late pretty soon."

As soon as I finished speaking, both Hale's heads snapped up to look me in the eyes. Derek looked suspicious (and angry) while Cora looked almost…relieved? Grateful?

Deucalion snorted. "Showing mercy again, eh, Alannah? What am I going to do with you?" He sighed heavily and stood up, walking toward the table that overlooked the window. "Kali," he said without turning around.

Kali slid the pole out of Derek and threw it aside, backing away a few steps with a sinister grin as Derek groaned audibly.

"I know what you are," he said slowly, still spitting up blood. "You're a fanatic!"

At this, Deucalion did turn. "Know me? You've never seen anything like me. I am the Alpha of Alphas." Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder boomed. "I am the apex of apex predators." His voice was growing deeper and more demonic. "I am Death, destroyer of worlds! I am the Demon Wolf!" His glasses cracked.

Cora had hidden behind a pillar in fear. Even Ennis looked slightly afraid. I had already seen this side of Duke, once before, but it was no less intimidating.

He removed his sunglasses again. "Hate it when that happens," he muttered. He began walking forward and Kali met him halfway, offering up her arm, which he took. Ennis flanked Deucalion's other side and they moved toward the door, not even sparing a glance in my direction as they passed me.

I went to follow them but stopped. I turned back around; Cora was by Derek's side. She looked up when she sensed I hadn't left yet. "What do you want?" she snarled.

I felt an unexplainable rush of fury, as well as a desire to defend myself. "Don't turn that anger toward me; I didn't do anything to either of you."

"You mean besides just standing there and allowing them to nearly kill my brother?" she retorted.

My fist clenched reflexively but I forced myself to calm down. "Look, I'm sorry that this happened, okay? I wasn't aware it was going to go down like this."

"But you knew something was going to happen?"

"Well, yes, but all Duke told me was that he was going to talk to Derek. He didn't mention anything about shoving a pole through his chest." I ran a hand through my hair. "They don't really tell me all that much about their plans."

_Whoa there, Alannah. Why are you telling her your life story?_

Cora just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just get out of here, Alannah."

My eyes widened slightly. "How the hell do you know my name?"

I heard her heartbeat quicken but before she could scramble to try and come up with a response, my phone rang. Still frowning at her, I answered without checking the caller I.D. "Hello?"

"_Kid, you need to come back. Deucalion isn't happy with you at all."_

I sighed. "Alright, Ennis, I'll be there soon."

I placed the phone back into my pocket and narrowed my eyes at Cora. "This isn't over. Next time we meet, you're gonna give me a straight answer. And no lies, because I can hear your heartbeat."

She scoffed. "What makes you think I'll agree to that?"

In an instant, I was in her face, the straps of her sports bra clenched in my fists. "Either you agree, or I'll beat it out of you," I growled. I was fighting the wolf in me; so many conflicting emotions were rampaging through my body. I wanted to slam her against the wall and knock her senseless but another side of me wanted to slam her against the wall and _kiss _her senseless. I'd never had this kind of desire for another person before. Something about her was driving me mad.

I'm pretty sure she noticed because she placed two hands on my shoulders and shoved me backward, her eyes flashing yellow. "Get out of here!" she yelled.

I glared at her for a few more moments before racing out of the room. Good thing too, because I had been only seconds away from acting on my instincts.

And those instincts had no intention of harming her in any way.

* * *

I opened the door quietly. I was sincerely hoping no one had heard me come in.

But of course, they all did.

"Alannah, come sit down," Deucalion said as a way of greeting. "We need to talk."

I grimaced but nonetheless headed into the living room, where everyone was waiting for me. "Hey, guys," I said to the twins. "How was school?"

Ethan chuckled and Aiden punched him in the arm. "Aiden got suspended today," Ethan told me.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Already? What for?"

"One of Derek's pack members, Isaac, stole my bike and rode it through school. He was able to frame me for it," Aiden said quietly.

I smiled sheepishly. "That really sucks, but I'm assuming he didn't do it just for the hell of it, right?"

Before either twin could respond, Deucalion spoke up. "This is what I need to speak with you about," he said. "You are too willing to believe that everyone is inherently good. Not only that, but as I've stated before," he leaned forward and pulled off his glasses, his eyes glowing an angry red, "you are too soft-hearted!" he roared.

I flinched as through he'd physically attacked me. "I'm-I'm sorry, Duke-."

"No! No more apologies, Alannah! It has been four years since I took you in, four years since I decided to take a chance on you because I saw potential and because I knew what you were-."

I held up a hand without thinking. "What do you mean, you knew what I was? What am I?"

He shook his head, annoyance written all over his face. "That is no longer of any importance. You've done nothing but be a liability to us."

I knew my face was betraying me; I was trying to make it look as if what he was saying wasn't making my heart crumble inside my chest. "I-I don't know what to say…"

"There is nothing for you to say!" he roared. "Since the beginning, you have hindered us. I let it slide for too long because I thought you would come to your senses and see that what we did made us powerful. That what we did would someday give you the strength you needed to avenge your parents! But, I can see now that I was a fool." His voice had become dangerously low and I almost had to strain to hear him.

"Please, Duke! I can do better!" I tried my hardest to reason with him, to convince him while at the same time trying to convince myself.

"No, you can't, Alannah," he said. His voice sounded slightly sad, or so I hoped. "You can't because you are not like us. You will never be like us."

I blinked quickly, fighting the tears that were rushing to the surface and threatening to spill over. "You don't mean that. You can't mean that. I am like you, I'm an Alpha!" I yelled.

"You may be an Alpha, but you are no longer part of this Alpha pack."

_What did he just…?_

"I'm…no longer a part of the pack?" I said slowly.

He shook his head. "No, you are not. Leave now. Because I don't care to get the floors dirty, I will not kill you here where you stand." He got up and walked closer to me, a hand shooting out and gripping my neck tightly. "But," he snarled. "If you get in our way again, I _will._"

Of their own accord, my fangs shot past my lips and I snarled at him, simultaneously shoving his hand from my throat and going to slash him in the face.

In an instant, I felt a terrible pain in my abdomen and looked down to see his walking stick protruding from my ribs. I sputtered, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

Deucalion sighed and slowly pulled his stick out. I fell to my knees, staring ahead but seeing nothing. This must have been what Derek felt like when Kali shoved a pole through his chest…but my wound was starting to burn terribly. I knew why, of course.

Deucalion's walking stick was covered in a thin layer of wolfsbane. I still didn't know, to this day, how he was able to touch it and not be affected.

Duke turned on his heel and walked away. "I suppose it was bound to happen at some point. Such a shame you couldn't have just left like I asked," he called over his shoulder before disappearing up the stairs.

I huffed and reached out a clawed hand but it fell to my side uselessly. My eyes rolled up and I keeled over, blacking out.

* * *

I awoke with a searing pain in my ribs and flailing widely. I heard a flurry of voices get louder when I woke up, but all I could see was red.

Someone touched my shoulder and I immediately shoved them away and rose up off the bed I was laying on.

"We need to get her unconscious again!" someone shouted.

I roared at the speaker, at all of them, and went to leap out of the bed, but three others held me down. I struggled against them, succeeding in throwing one off of me, but another quickly took their place.

"How do we do this, Doc?" someone else grunted. "How do we get her unconscious?"

"There's no time to look for a sedative. Just knock her out," 'Doc' answered.

I sneered. "I'd like to see them try!" I roared and threw my arms out. All three people who were holding me down were shoved backward and I jumped off the bed, falling into a crouch and baring my fangs. I saw someone approach me and I rose up, ready to strike.

Suddenly, the pain in my ribs intensified and I dropped into my former crouch, crying out.

"Now, Derek!"

I felt a fist crack against my temple and I blacked out for a second time.

* * *

My eyes opened slowly and I blinked several times. The bright light that shone down from the middle of the ceiling was causing my head to throb painfully.

"She's awake," someone murmured.

I was no longer seeing red and could now make out the faces of people around me; specifically, Derek and Cora Hale, along with a dark-skinned man in a polo shirt.

"Where am I?" I groaned as quietly as I could, to appease the monster of a headache inside my skull.

"You're in my office," the dark-skinned man replied gently. "I'm Dr. Deaton, and I believe you're already acquainted with Derek and Cora."

I nodded slowly. "We've…met."

Dr. Deaton pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on. "Mind if I check your eyes?"

I nodded again.

He shined the light into one eye first, then the other. He was surprisingly thorough. "Your pupils are dilating again. You had us worried for some time, Alannah."

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

Dr. Deaton smiled sadly. "She really doesn't remember anything, does she?"

Derek shook his head. "She didn't recognize us. It's been years, but she should've recognized our names at least."

"What are you talking about?" I moaned. "And speak quietly, please."

"You should go back to sleep, Alannah. You lost a lot of blood and your wound almost killed you."

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

Dr. Deaton smiled warmly. "No more questions for now, alright, Alannah? Get some more rest and afterward we can answer any of your questions. Deal?"

I nodded absently. "Deal." I allowed my eyes to close and was out in less than a minute.

* * *

When my eyes opened for the third time in less than twelve hours, there was no more pain and no more throbbing. I was feeling good as new, which meant my healing had finally kicked in.

"How are you feeling?"

I turned and saw Cora looking at me from her reclined position against a wall, her arms crossed tightly and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Better, actually," I responded. I sat up and rubbed my neck, acutely aware of the fact that I was stripped down to my underwear.

"You would have healed faster, but wolfsbane tends to disrupt that process," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I was kind of tipped off by the name 'wolfsbane'."

Her frown deepened. "You don't have to be an asshole."

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry; I don't know where the hell that came from."

She shrugged. "You were the same when you were little."

I rose into a sitting position. "When I was little? That reminds me, where's that Dr. Deaton dude? He said he'd be able to answer all of my questions."

She jerked her head in the direction of the door. "They're all in the lobby. They were waiting for you to wake up."

I smirked. "And you? You get volunteered to keep an eye on the big bad Alpha?"

"No, I volunteered myself."

"Oh," I replied, stunned. "Uh…"

She shot me a smirk of her own. "Cat got your tongue, Alannah?"

I reddened. "Shut up." I grew serious. "For real, though, why are you being so nice to me? And why did you guys save my life? Aren't I the enemy?"

Cora uncrossed her arms. "Look, I'll be straight with you. No one trusts you. I don't even really trust you. Deucalion and his pack are seriously powerful and they're serious about whatever their plan is. Seeing as you were a part of their pack, that just makes you guilty by association. Although," she waved a hand toward my bandaged torso, "I'd guess that has changed."

I chuckled humorlessly. "Cast out and almost killed for being too nice."

"Skirting past the awkward moment where I'm supposed to comfort you or something, the thing is, I remember who you used to be."

"Who was that?"

"What exactly do you remember about your childhood?" She answered my question with a question of her own.

"I can't remember anything from before I was eleven years old, why?"

"You moved away from Beacon Hills when you were ten. You don't remember that?"

"Didn't I just say I can't remember anything from before the age of eleven? Pretty sure ten comes before eleven," I responded sarcastically and without thinking.

Her eyes narrowed. "You wanna cut the sarcasm? I'm under no obligation to stand here and deal with your bullshit."

"Sorry, sorry. I tend to stick my foot straight through my skull sometimes."

"That's something that hasn't changed at all." Thankfully, her jab was spoken with a small smile. "The others are waiting for us-you. Think you'll be able to walk over there?"

I waved her concern away-at least, I think it was concern. I _hoped _it was concern…

"Of course, are you trying to insult me? I'm an Alpha, Cora."

She rolled her eyes. "My apologies, I didn't mean to offend."

I just smirked in response and hopped off the bed. "Just don't let it happen again."

"Just for that, it'll happen again, a lot. Now come on, I'm sure everyone is just on the tip of their toes to formally meet you face to face."

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why, but this chapter was extremely hard to get out. Eh, whatever. Read and review, like always. If you'd like :D**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	3. First Date (Kind Of)

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 for full disclaimer.**

**Author's Note: So, one thing I should address before I get started, something I should've addressed last chapter: THANK YOU ALL WHO FAVORITED/FOLLOWED/REVIEWED. The capital letters was just so that you could see it from space.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: First Date (Kind Of)**

* * *

Halfway down the hall to meet the others, my abdomen gave a particularly painful twinge and I almost keeled over sideways, if not for Cora catching me by the shoulders.

"Hey, you okay?"

I coughed once and spat up a small glob of blood and saliva. "Yeah, I will be. The wolfsbane that Deucalion uses is a rare species that is far more potent than others." Coughing again, I growled lowly, biting hard enough into my bottom lip to draw blood. "Damn it!"

Cora slipped an arm around my waist and placed my arm around her neck, holding it in place with her other hand. "I'm assuming the others want you upright and conscious when they talk to you, so having you fall over can't happen," she answered when I gave her a questioning look.

"Thanks, I guess." I was sincerely hoping she wouldn't be able to hear my heart beat quicken at our close proximity, but I was positive she did. I could just write it off as an effect of the wolfsbane, which wasn't a complete lie.

"Just don't get used to it," she said jokingly. Well, if she did notice, she didn't say anything.

We were able to make the rest of the trip, albeit slowly. Finally, we reached the lobby and she placed me down lightly on an armchair before going to sit between her brother and a taller, slightly lanky guy with soft light brown curls. I noticed that the armchair I was sitting on was pretty removed from the couch Cora just sat on, as well as from everyone else.

I breathed out slowly, trying to bring my rapid heart rate back under control, but to no avail. I gripped the armchair tightly and winced slightly when I heard the material rip. "Sorry," I said to Dr. Deaton.

"Is there a reason she's all wolfed out?" another guy spoke up. This one had dark brown hair that was spiked in the front. He also seemed to be slightly restless, based on the way he kept moving around and gesturing wildly.

"Sorry," I apologized again. "Wolfsbane causes werewolves to shift uncontrollably."

"Don't you remember that from when Derek got shot?" Scott asked him.

"Sorry I wasn't really paying all that much attention to that. I was too busy trying not to pass out over the fact that he wanted me to cut off his freaking arm!"

"Will both of you please shut up?" A man leaning against a wall away from the others reprimanded the two.

Derek gave the man a look before glaring at me. "So, what happened to you?"

"Before I answer, I have a question of my own: how did I get here?"

"You were left on my doorstep. I'm not a doctor, so I brought you here," Derek replied. "Now answer my question: what happened?"

I sighed. "Deucalion cast me out of the pack."

To his credit, Derek's face betrayed no emotion; it remained in the same iron mask. "Just like that? What did you do?"

"In his words, 'I'm too softhearted.'"

"I'm not surprised. You've always been kind of a wimp," he commented.

Leaping out of my chair, I went to attack him, but he easily blocked my swipe and threw me back into the chair. "Nice try."

"You'd better count yourself lucky I'm out of commission," I wheezed at him between coughs.

"You're no threat to me," he countered.

"You're one to talk; you got your ass handed to you within a minute," I shot back.

"She stabbed me with a pole!"

"And I got stabbed with a walking stick! One that was coated in wolfsbane, I might add. I win."

"Guys!" the restless kid interjected. "I think we're getting off track here."

Derek glared at him too, but he wasn't fazed. "Glare at me all you want, Derek, it won't get you anywhere."

Derek just sighed and turned his attention back to me. "Well, you've answered my question. I guess now you've got some questions for him?" He gestured to the veterinarian.

I nodded and looked at Dr. Deaton. "Only one: how do you know me?"

"Well, you used to live here. You moved away eight years ago and we lost track of you."

"Who did I live with?"

He looked slightly surprised. "With your parents, of course."

I frowned. "I have parents? Like a mother and father?"

"Yes, you do. Do you not remember them?"

I shook my head. "I can't remember anything from before I was eleven."

"That would mean your parents died sometime in that year…" he murmured to himself. "Tell me, Alannah, how did you come to run with Deucalion's pack?"

"I, uh, I accidentally murdered an Alpha when I was fourteen."

"How the hell do you _accidentally_ murder an Alpha?" the restless kid cried. "Alphas are the strongest of werewolves and you were what, a fourteen year old Beta?"

"Omega," I corrected him.

"That's even crazier. Omegas are weaker than Betas, aren't they?"

"They're supposed to be."

"So then how did you-?"

"Stiles!" Derek barked. "Do you mind? I'm the one asking the questions here!"

The restless kid-Stiles-immediately closed his mouth. "Sorry," he apologized.

Derek looked back at me. "But, it was a good question." I immediately noticed Stiles' heart rate increase for just a few moments before falling back into its regular pattern. "How did you manage to kill an Alpha as an Omega?"

I shrugged. "The only thing I can remember is an Alpha coming after me and knocking me down. Just when he's about to deliver the killing blow, my mind goes blank. The closest thing after that that I can remember is staring down at my claws that were covered in his blood. I literally tore him apart; they had to use like, three different body bags."

"What happened after that?"

"Well, unfortunately for me, this Alpha was some big-wig lawyer or something in town that everybody was friends with. Somehow, word got out that I had killed him, so I ran, but people started coming after me."

"Did you kill them instead?"

"When I was able to avoid it, I did. That didn't always work."

"When did Deucalion come into the picture?"

"A few months after it happened. He showed up on the doorstep of the abandoned house I took shelter in and offered me a place in his pack. I said yes."

"Why?"

I frowned. "Does it seem like I had a better option, because I sure as hell didn't. At that point, I had people showing up every day, not only hunters, but random civilians. You'd think they'd have taken pity on a fourteen year old, but no. All they saw was a murderer."

"Didn't they try to arrest you first?"

"Well, that's the thing: the town had a hospital and a courthouse, but no police division."

"How did they deal with crime?"

I shrugged. "There wasn't really crime there. Before the murder I committed, the worse thing the town had ever seen was a robbery."

"That seems pretty big, doesn't it?" Stiles asked.

I smirked at him. "The culprit was a six-year old kid. And he stole gum."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.'"

Derek spoke up again. "And that's it?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I leaned back into the armchair. "So, what now? I'm incapacitated; anyone of you, even the humans, could probably overpower me easily. You gonna kill me?"

"Why would we do that?" Cora asked.

"Because I'm the enemy."

"You _were _the enemy," Derek said. "But, I still don't trust you."

"I don't expect you to. You don't know me, or, not anymore."

"True," he admitted. "And while part of me does want to kill you, just to be safe, I won't. You've yet to prove yourself a danger to me or my pack."

"I won't be," I said. "Even in Deucalion's pack, I refused to kill anyone else again. I'm honestly a bit surprised it took him four years to be at his wit's end, now that I think about it."

"Why is that? Your pack seems completely fine with murdering."

"After what happened four years ago, I'm not too keen on having it happen again."

"Good." Derek stood up, his eyes glowing red. "Because if you even thought about hurting anyone in this room, I'll take you down without a second thought."

I chuckled. "The whole tough-guy act is cute, but don't forget, I killed an Alpha at fourteen, accidental or not."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that if it came down to it, you wouldn't be the one taking anything down."

"Are you threatening me?" he growled.

"No, I'm making you a promise." I fixed him with a hard stare. "But, I'll make you another one. I will not hurt, or even think about hurting anyone in this room." I had been scanning the room as I spoke and when I finished, my gaze landed on Cora, who smiled softly at me.

I felt the heat rise to my face and cleared my throat to cover it up. "You have my word, Derek Hale."

He nodded slowly. "Hopefully, you're the sort who keeps their word."

"I am. Now, on a side note, I don't really have a place to stay anymore…"

He sighed. "You're about to ask me if you can stay with me, aren't you?"

"If that's alright. If not, I can find somewhere else."

"She can sleep in my room," Cora cut in. When Derek gave her a confused look, she shrugged. "What? We're both girls. And we used to be best friends. There isn't really a problem."

"Fine, fine! She can stay in your room." He pointed an accusatory finger at me. "But you're responsible for getting your own food and buying your own clothes."

I threw up my hands. "With what money, Derek?"

"You've got to be kidding me-!"

"It's fine, Derek!" Cora interrupted. "I can take her shopping when she's feeling better."

I smiled at her. "That's sweet, but that doesn't solve the problem of my lack of money."

"I believe I can fix that for you," Dr. Deaton said. "Your parents left you a small fortune that you would have access to when they died."

"A small fortune?" I cocked an eyebrow. "How small are we talking?"

"A few million dollars."

"That's small?" I choked out.

"Your parents were multimillionaires," he explained. "But they were very humble and didn't flash their money like some rich folks do. I was one of the few people they trusted with that secret."

"Were you good friends with them?"

Dr. Deaton nodded. "Yes, your father was my best friend from high school."

"What were their names?"

"Their names were Dillon and Sandra Gealach." He walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "They loved you very much, Alannah."

"Not enough to stay alive," I said quietly.

"We don't know the circumstances behind their deaths. And if I knew them, I know it would've taken something monumental to tear them from your side. You were a rare occurrence, Alannah; you weren't supposed to be born."

I looked up at him. "What…do you mean?"

"Your mother was infertile. It killed them every day after they found out. They had wanted so badly to have a child. And then one day, your mother began feeling ill and throwing up. When they visited the doctor, he informed them that Sandra was pregnant. I still remember the party they threw that night. It was quite the occasion."

"They loved you more than life itself, Alannah. I know it's hard because you can't remember them, but one day we'll find out what happened. And you can gain some closure."

I nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Deaton, for telling me this."

"Of course. They did name me your godfather."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes. So, you still have some family left." He smiled warmly at me. "I hate to do this to all of you, because it is a weekend, but I have a lot of paperwork to get through, so I'll need you to leave."

I got up slowly from the chair. "Thank you again for all that you've done. For saving my life."

He caught me by surprise by tugging me in for a quick hug. "Just try not to make a habit of it." He released me and handed me a business card. "When you're feeling better, give this number a call. They'll be able to get you access to your money."

* * *

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, uh, I was given this number by Dr. Deaton? He said you would be able to get me access to some money that my parents left me."

"_What's your name?"_

"Alannah…Gealach."

"_Oh! Of course, Ms. Gealach! Let me get our manager right away. Please hold for just one moment."_

"No problem."

They weren't kidding when they said 'just one moment'; only a second later, another person picked up the phone. _"Hello, Ms. Gealach?"_

"This is her."

"_Are you eighteen years of age, Ms. Gealach?"_

"Yes, I am."

"_Perfect. Do you happen to have a credit card of any kind?"_

"I do not."

"_That's alright. I'm sure Dr. Deaton just forgot to give it to you. How much would you like to be put on the card for now?"_

"Uh, I'm not entirely sure. Do you have any suggestions?"

"_Well, you have quite a bit of money, but my suggestion would be to only transfer small amounts at a time, so theft won't be as big an issue as it possibly could be."_

I smirked to myself; this dude had no idea how small of an issue robbers would be.

"Well, thank you for your advice. I would like three hundred dollars transferred right now."

"_Of course, Ms. Gealach, we'll take care of that right away. Have a fantastic day, and please call again when you'd like more money transferred or if you have any questions that Dr. Deaton cannot answer."_

"Thank you very much and have a great day as well."

The call went dead and I got off of the bed I was reclining on and left the room.

I had yet to buy myself a vehicle of any kind (I made a mental note to take care of that soon) so I was reduced to having to run to Dr. Deaton's office.

The bell dinged and I heard him call, "I'll be there in a moment!"

He appeared from the back within a few seconds, his face breaking out into a warm smile when he saw me. "Alannah! To what do I owe this visit?"

"Aren't I allowed to visit my favorite godfather just because?"

"I'd believe that if you weren't a typical eighteen year old." He stuck his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. "What can I do for you, Lanna?"

"So, I called that number you gave me and they said that you were supposed to give me a credit card of some kind?"

His face lit up. "Oh, yes! I completely forgot about that. Just give me a second." He disappeared back behind the counter, reappearing momentarily with a platinum credit card in his hand, which he gave to me. "Here you are. How much did you transfer initially?"

"Three hundred dollars."

"Hmm. You do know that an amount that small won't buy you a very operable vehicle, right?"

I chuckled. "I know, Doc. I'm going to get my clothes and food shopping done first then I'll focus completely on buying a motorcycle."

He cocked an eyebrow. "A motorcycle, huh? You aren't interested in a fancy sports car?"

"Nah, I'll let Derek have that category all to himself. I've always wanted a motorcycle, ever since Ethan and Aiden got one…" I trailed off, a familiar feeling of depression rearing its head.

The doc noticed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, Alannah. You don't need to act strong in front of me. I'm your godfather, and your only remaining family. You're supposed to let your guard down around me."

I hesitated. "I would like to, I really would, but I just don't really trust you yet."

His face fell slightly and I immediately felt awful. "I'm sorry, that sounded better in my head."

He shook his head, his smile back on his face. "Don't worry about it. I know that you're out of your element here and it has only been a week since…everything happened. Trust is something that takes time to build. I'm willing to wait as long as you need."

I smiled back at him. "That means a lot, Doc. Thanks."

"Call me Alan. Now, if I do recall, wasn't Cora supposed to go with you to help out with your shopping?"

I cleared my throat. "Uh, yeah, why?"

He smiled knowingly at me. "Oh, nothing in particular. I hope you two have a good time."

"Uh, thanks, Alan."

"Of course. Tell her I said hello."

* * *

"How do you not have a car yet?" Cora asked incredulously.

"I only just finished healing from Deucalion's little surprise attack. That didn't leave me a lot of room to go car shopping. Besides, I'm not getting a car."

"A motorcycle, then?"

"Hell yeah."

"Sweet! I've always wanted to ride on one."

I raised my eyebrows. "Who said I'd let you ride it?"

"As your best friend, you have an obligation to do whatever I tell you."

"Skirting over the part where I awkwardly tell you I don't remember the time where we used to be best friends so we sort of aren't any longer, since when do you tell me what to do?"

"Since now. And you'd better shape up, unless you want to get your ass kicked."

I decided at that moment that I actually _liked _it when Cora tried to boss me around. "As you wish, your Majesty. I would say your chariot awaits, but…"

She rolled her eyes at me before starting to run. "Wa-wait, where are you going?" I called after her.

"What the hell do you think? How else are we supposed to get there?" she yelled back over her shoulder.

Cursing to myself, I chased after her.

* * *

"What about this one?" Cora asked while holding up yet another top to my chest.

I pushed it away lightly and sighed. "Cora, how many more times do I have to say it? I can dress myself!"

She blushed almost imperceptibly. "Sorry, I just really love clothes shopping."

I cocked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have pegged you for the sort. Personally, I hate clothes shopping. And food shopping. Really any kind of shopping."

"There's got to be something that you like shopping for."

I thought for a moment. "Actually, there is. Video games and books."

"Video games and books…somehow, I'm not surprised."

"What makes you say that?"

She shrugged and put the top back onto the rack. "I don't know, when you were younger, you always had your nose in a book. Or a controller in your hand. Every time I would go over to your house, you were doing one of those two things."

"Hmm…" I said absently. Every day, I was always finding out new things about who I used to be and about my past. Like, my favorite colors were purple and teal, I really hated soup, I used to be really shy and wear glasses, and I had a slight obsession with Johnny Depp ever since I watched _Edward Scissorhands._

"Here, how about this one?" Cora pushed another lacy blouse into my face.

"Okay, seriously? What about my current state of dress says that I want to wear," I quickly checked the label of the shirt, "a forty dollar H&M blouse?"

"Well, everything I've picked out for you, you've turned down!" she argued.

"That's because you dragged me into this store in the first place! This isn't me, Cora."

"Well then, what is you?" she countered.

Forty seconds later, I had already picked out three different tops. "Now this is more like it."

"Zumies?" she asked. "You like to shop at _Zumies_?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

She held up her hands. "No, no, not at all. It's just not what I'd expect. You were much more girly when you were little."

"Yeah, well, I'm not so little anymore, am I?"

"That's for sure," she muttered.

I sighed. "Look, if you're not happy, you can wait outside."

She glared at me. "If you want me to leave, just ask me directly. Don't beat around the bush."

"I don't want you to leave," I blurted.

She looked slightly stunned before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, we should probably get finished with your clothes shopping so we can get started on shopping for food."

I grinned humorlessly. "Great, more shopping sounds like a shit ton of fun."

* * *

We finally finished all the shopping I had to take care of within the span of a few more hours. By the time we got back to Derek's place, the others were home from school.

"Hey, Isaac," Cora greeted the boy reclining on the couch as we walked in, laden with bags.

"Hey, Cora," he said, a small smile on his face. His eyes landed on me and he narrowed them suspiciously, the smile disappearing from his face completely. I tossed him a quick one in return and a nod before leading the way up the stairs to our shared room.

"I think Isaac hates me," I said as I dropped the clothing bags on the bed.

"What makes you say that?"

"He gave me a very angry look when we passed him." I began pulling clothes out of the bags at random and hanging them up. "I think he likes you."

"What? Don't be ridiculous," she snapped.

"Whoa, what's with the sudden mood swing?" I asked, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, never mind." I quickly shut up, knowing it was the smartest choice.

She went downstairs not long after to start putting my food into the cabinets and refrigerator. I stayed upstairs and finished putting my clothes away before sitting down on the bed and pulling out my phone.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, this is Alannah Gealach."

"_Good afternoon, Ms. Gealach. What can I do for you?"_

"I was just wondering if I could make another transfer onto my card."

"_Of course, how much would you like transferred?"_

How much would a motorcycle cost me? I didn't know for sure, but there was no point in playing it safe. "One hundred thousand dollars."

"_Oh my! Are you quite sure, Ms. Gealach? Having such a large sum of money on your card could be very potentially dangerous!"_

I chuckled, trying to set them at ease. "Thank you for your concern, but I'll be able to handle any thieves just fine."

"_Of course, Ms. Gealach. The money will be transferred momentarily. Have a good day." _The call went dead.

I put my phone back into my pocket and headed down the stairs. I found Cora crouching in front of the open fridge. "Hey," I greeted her.

She looked up at me. "What?"

I waved my credit card. "Feel like joining me as I pick out a new bike?"

Instantly, her face lit up. "Hell yeah! Let me just grab my jacket." She closed the fridge and headed up the stairs. She was down a minute later, pulling a red leather jacket on over her white tank top.

I tried my hardest not to let my eyes wander down to her chest, but that tank was leaving _very _little to my imagination.

_Fucking hormones…_

She pulled me out of my thoughts my grabbing my arm and ushering me toward the door. "Come on, what are you waiting for?"

I was barely able to catch Isaac's glare as the door closed behind us.

* * *

"Welcome to Harley Davidson motorcycles!" an older man greeted us as we walked in. "What can I do for you today?"

"I'd like to buy a bike."

"Sure thing! Did you have any particular one in mind?"

My eyes glazed over as I thought of my dream bike (one that I had decided on only a couple of days ago). "An Ember Red Sunglo/Merlot Super Glide Custom," I recited from memory.

The man chuckled softly. "Well, that's rather specific. It just so happens that I have one last one in stock, but someone else did have their eye on it…"

I snapped to my senses. "How much do you want?"

"Well, it would normally only cost about fourteen thousand, but I don't know. What makes you think I should give it to you over my other client?" he said slyly.

"Forget it, Alannah, this guy is just trying to pull one over on you," Cora said.

I winked at her. "I know. I like him already!" I turned back to the employee. "How about thirty thousand, up front?"

I detected his heart rate increase and I smiled, knowing I had him in the palm of my hand. "Thirty-thirty thousand?" he squeaked.

I grinned at him. "Think of it as an investment for this fine establishment." I stuck out my hand. "Well, my good man, do we have a deal?"

He grasped it tightly, grinning back. "You're one hell of a strange kid, I like that! You've got yourself a deal. How about we step into my office and sort through all that boring paperwork?"

"Lead the way, my friend."

The employee, whose name was Frank, had me set up and good to go in less than half an hour. He hadn't even tried to pull anything on me. Not that he could have, but at least he had been up front and honest with me from the get-go. He also got me some pretty good deals when it came to maintenance plans and all the shit that I didn't really care about.

I was pretty sure he could tell I had no idea what he was talking about, anyway.

"Well, Ms. Gealach, here are the keys to your new bike!" He handed me a single key that I took gladly and I shook his hand one final time. "Thanks a million, Frank."

"Sure thing, kid. And do me a favor, tell your parents I said hey, would you?"

I froze. "You-you knew my parents?"

He frowned. "Yeah, your dad used to work here in the summers. He never mentioned ol' Frank?"

"I, uh, I didn't know. My parents died and I can't remember them," I said quietly.

Frank looked apologetic. "Oh, I'm so sorry, kid. I shouldn't have said anything. For what it's worth, they were great folk and really loved you. You seem to have grown up into the kind of daughter they would have been real proud of."

"…Thank you."

"Of course. Enjoy your bike, and feel free to stop by at any time to chat. I've been working here for over forty years and I could tell you some hilarious stories about your parents."

"That would be great. Thanks again, Frank."

"No problem, sweet pea. Now, get on out there and take to the roads!" He lowered his glasses and gave me a sly grin. "And if I may say, you couldn't have picked a better bike to impress your girlfriend with."

Cora reddened and I coughed. "Uh, she-she isn't my girlfriend, Frank."

His eyes widened. "She isn't? Huh, I could've sworn she was…well, why ain't she? She's a beautiful young lady! You both are!" He laughed himself silly over that. "I'm just messing with you young'uns. Geez, no sense of humor!"

"See you later, Frank."

"Bye, bye, sweet pea. I'm sure you'll enjoy the ride back." He winked at me as Cora walked out the front door and I smirked.

Outside, Cora was circling my new motorcycle, whistling lowly. "This is a beautiful bike, Alannah."

I allowed my eyes to wander this time; Cora was too focused on admiring the bike. "Yeah, she really is," I said absently.

She looked up at my tone and cocked an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh, you, uh, that's just a really cool jacket."

She looked down at the red leather. "Thanks. It's my favorite one."

"It really brings out the color of your hair," I said without thinking. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

She smiled softly. "That's what I was going for."

I nodded slowly and blinked, shaking all thoughts of how beautiful she looked in the glow of the setting sun from my head and walked over to my bike, swinging a leg over it. I put the key in the ignition and turned it, revving the engine a few times as it jumped to life. I looked at Cora and smirked. "So, you should probably get going."

"What do you mean?"

"I never said you could take a ride on it."

She narrowed her eyes and moved closer to me, her eyes glowing yellow. "Feel like changing your mind yet?"

I chuckled darkly and felt my canines slide past my lower lip. "You're not a threat to me," I growled.

She smirked at me. "Right, little Miss big bad Alpha." She slid onto the seat behind me. "Ready to get going?"

"I still haven't said yes, you know."

She hooked her arms around my waist and gripped me tightly. "Are we going or not?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and turned away quickly, focusing entirely on the task of getting the motorcycle out of the lot and onto the road.

As we drove down the winding path that led back to Derek's place, I reveled in the feel of the wind on my cheeks and in my hair, but I took even greater pleasure in the feel of Cora's arms around my waist and eventually, her head leaning against my back.

Frank was right; I _did _enjoy the ride back. A lot.

* * *

**A/N: The longest chapter to date?! What?! You're welcome ;D**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	4. Forest

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 for da full one.**

**Author's Note: Well, from what I gathered from the reviews, people seemed to dig the last chapter, so that's awesome! And I'm glad you peeps liked it. That is a large part of the reason why I keep updating: not only to further the story for my own benefit and all that fun stuff, but for your benefit as well, so you can continue to enjoy!**

**P.S. Once again, thanks a billion to those who followed/favorited/reviewed and even just those that clicked in on the story. It means a whole lot to me!**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Forest**

* * *

"Why don't you go to school?" Cora asked as a way of greeting as she walked into our shared bedroom.

I glanced up from the book I had only just taken to sticking my nose in. "Why don't you?"

"You mean besides the fact that everyone thinks I'm dead?"

"Touché, Hale."

"But, seriously, why don't you?"

I closed the book after making sure to mark my spot. "Why should I go? It's not like I'm a huge part of the social scene here. I mean, I can't even remember ever living in Beacon Hills."

Cora cocked an eyebrow. "You're not the type to care about popularity or any of that surface shit." She took a seat next to me on the bed. "You don't need to lie to me, Alannah. Why don't you tell me what the real problem is?"

I sighed; of course she'd be able to tell I was lying to her. "The twins are enrolled at the school."

"Are you afraid of them?"

"No way in hell! I'd just rather not have to deal with seeing them every day."

"Why's that? I mean, if you're not afraid of them…"

I was slowly growing annoyed but took a couple breaths to calm my heart rate. My irrational behavior wasn't completely unexpected; a full moon was just around the corner. Normally, I'm in complete control of my inner wolf, but as of late, I'd developed a slightly dangerous, 'Fuck it' attitude. "Can we just drop it?"

"What's the big deal? I'm not asking for a novel, I just want a straight answer." Apparently, Cora was growing just as frustrated by my lack of an answer as I was with her asking.

"Why do you need one? Why is this so important to you?" I snarled.

"You tried to lie to me!" She leaned in closer, her eyes growing liquid gold. "If there's one thing I hate, it's when people lie to me, or try to and fail and then get all bent out of shape when I call them on it."

"That's too damn bad, isn't it? I don't owe you any answers!"

"Why can't you just give me a reason, Alannah? I don't understand why you're avoiding it like the plague!"

"Because you don't need to know! No one needs to know!"

"Know what?" I knew she was trying to be underhanded with that comment, and something in me snapped.

I grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her to the wall next to the bed, my fangs bared and my mind wild. "Know that I just lost the only semblance of a family that I've ever had!" I roared. "Know that it was my fault I got kicked out! If I'd just been stronger, more heartless, maybe I'd still have one!"

Her eyes widened slightly. I knew that meant that she had caught the double meaning in my statement. "You think they were your family?" she yelled back. "They're _murderers_, Alannah! Call me crazy, but that doesn't really sound like the healthiest of family relations!"

"I don't care about that! They took me in when I had no one, gave me a place to stay when they didn't have to! They were my brothers, my sister, my father! Regardless of who they were or what they did, they were _family_."

"And what about now?" she shot back.

My grip lessened a little. "Wh-what?"

"You're going on and on about how you've just lost your family, right? As you look me straight in the eyes? What are we to you, Alannah?"

"I-I don't…" I was at a loss for words.

"We took you in, gave you not just a place to stay, but a home. And you just stand there and scream in my face about how you don't have a family anymore?" Her voice contained undercurrents of hurt.

My eyes softened as I realized how it must have sounded to her. "I'm sorry, Cora," I whispered. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

"So how did you mean it?" she asked quietly.

"I…" I released my grip on her wrists but didn't move back an inch. "I…don't know." I lowered my eyes to the floor, trying to come up with the right words. "I don't know what to think, not anymore. All those years I spent with him, trying to make him happy because I owed him my life, and he dropped me like it was nothing. Did I-did I fail him?" My voice cracked.

I felt a hand cradle my face and my eyes rose to hers, red meeting yellow. "You didn't fail him, Ali. You were better than him, better than all of them." Her eyes faded back to their normal light brown.

I shook my head softly. "I wasn't better. Don't forget what I had to do to become an Alpha."

"That's different. You didn't kill him on purpose; it was self-defense."

I snorted. "Well, no one else saw it that way."

"I do." She gave me light prod in the shoulder. "And that's all that should matter."

I grinned at her words. The grin faded as soon as I realized that we were nearly touching noses; I could feel her hot breath ghosting over my lips and it was making me _crazy_.

I jumped back as if my ass was on fire, mind working frantically to come up with some excuse. She looked at me confusedly. "What?"

"Uh, I, uh, your breath stinks," I blurted and immediately mentally face-palmed when she scowled at me.

"Well, fuck you too then," was the reply I got as she stalked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

I punched the wall in frustration, making a mental note to talk to Derek when I pulled my fist free. "Really, Alannah?" I growled. "That's the best you could come up with?" I fell backward onto the bed, a hand over my face. "She'll never talk to me again!"

I heard someone pounding up the stairs and I rose up, thinking it was Cora returning to scream at me. "Listen, Cora-."

The door slammed open and I was met with the angry eyes of not Cora, but Isaac. "What the hell did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Cora just came downstairs with murder in her eyes! What did you say?"

"Nothing that concerns you, that's for sure," I said defensively.

"She's my friend, so it is my concern!" he snarled.

"Oh, is it? You sure it's not because you like her?" I shot back, feeling my fang slide my lips yet again.

"We're not talking about me, we're talking about you! You did something that upset her and you need to apologize!" he retaliated.

"What's it to you? Why is everyone coming after me today?" I roared. "First Cora, now you? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"She's worried about you, can't you see that? Instead of jumping down her throat, try to see things from her perspective!" He glared at me one final time before disappearing back downstairs.

I sucked in a sharp breath, willing my anger to dissipate. When it did, I ran a hand through my locks and sighed. What a fucked up way to start the morning…

* * *

"Hey, kid!" Frank greeted me as I walked through the door. "I haven't seen you for a couple of weeks. How you doing?"

"I fucked up pretty bad today, to be honest."

"Was it that girl you like?"

"Wh-what? I don't like her!" I said quickly.

He fixed me with a stare. "It's alright, kid, I don't judge. Love is love, you know?"

"That's not the issue! I just don't like her."

"Uh huh…and I'm not a sixty-three year old man named Frank who works at Harley Motorcycles."

I cocked an eyebrow. "You know, I always had a feeling you weren't who you said you were. You must be a cross-dresser, then. Were you unhappy with being a woman?"

"What? No, kid, it was a-."

I held up my hands. "Hey, hey, it's okay, I don't judge. It's your body and your life, you should do what you want with it."

"Alright, I get it. I won't say anything else about her, deal?"

I nodded. "Deal." I stuck my hands in my pockets. "So, how've you been?"

"Busy, actually. Everyone and their mother seems to be wanting a motorcycle lately. It's the first time in five years that I've actually had to make people wait for another shipment of certain bikes."

"Well, that's a good thing, ain't it? Good for the business and good for keeping you on your toes. Best not to get lazy, eh?"

He threw an oiled rag in my direction and I easily snatched it out of the air. "I'm an old man! Being on my toes is bad for my feet."

I laughed. "Do it enough and you won't even feel it anymore. You'll be the healthiest old man around."

He snorted. "I'm healthy enough; have been since I was a kid." He lowered his head, peering at me from behind his glasses. "And what about you? Shouldn't you be going to school?"

"How do you know I haven't?"

"Because I see you riding your bike all the time. I'm not always behind this counter, you know."

"Alright, you caught me. From what I can remember, I never went to school. No reason to start going now."

"You need an education to make something of yourself in this world."

"Says who?"

"Damn near everybody, but it doesn't need to be said. Most every serious career, ones that'll have you living comfortably and not paycheck to paycheck, require college degrees. I mean, even if you don't wanna do high school, you can still test to get your G.E.D."

"Maybe one day…school isn't really the first thing on my mind these days."

"Well, what is? What could an eighteen year old kid be more worried about then school?"

"Trying to get my memory back, or figure out why I don't have one, for starters. I'd kind of like to remember having parents, you know?"

He nodded slowly. "I understand. While I do wish to see you in school, maybe that isn't the best thing for you, not right now. But hopefully, one day it will."

The bell dinged from behind me and I saw a young man with a pretty girl attached to his arm walk into the store. "Welcome to Harley Davidson motorcycles! I'll be with you two in just a moment." He looked back at me, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, kid, but duty calls."

I waved his apology away. "Don't even worry about it, Frank. I'll come by again soon. Thanks for talking with me."

"Of course, Alannah. You know where to find me if you ever need anything, even if it is just to vent about your teenage problems."

I laughed. "I may take you up on that one day. See ya, Frank."

* * *

One thing I actually did like about not being able to listen to music while riding was that it gave me a lot of time to just think. The sound of the revving engine, coupled with the wind whistling in my ears was music in itself.

There usually wasn't ever anyone on the road I now traveled. It was a side road, so it was removed from most of the heavy traffic.

My head turned suddenly and I almost lost control of the bike when I heard a soft whine coming from my right. I pulled over into the dirt and dismounted, my nose sniffing the air.

I smelled fear. It was close, but I needed to head into the forest of trees to reach it.

Fuck it.

I crouched down and shot forward, using both my arms and legs to run.

It was only a few minutes later that I stopped and stood up, sniffing again. Another whine permeated the otherwise quiet air.

I growled lowly in response, trying to reassure the animal. It answered with a short bark.

"A dog, then," I muttered to myself. "Where are you?"

The dog whined again and I swiveled my head, my eyes searching. Finally, I was able to pinpoint its location behind a downed tree.

The dog, or puppy, was a small tricolor Beagle, with large black areas and light brown shading. Its legs and underbelly were white, as well as its snout.

"Hey, puppy," I cooed and reached out a hand to let the dog sniff it. "What happened to you?"

The Beagle whined at me and licked my outstretched hand softly. I looked closer and realized that the back half of the dog's body was actually trapped underneath the tree. "That's why you're scared; you're stuck, aren't you?"

The Beagle barked shortly and looked at me sadly.

I reached underneath the tree and shoved it away easily. I was slightly surprised when the dog didn't immediately try to run away. "What's wrong?"

The dog just whined and looked back at its right hind leg. Hmm, I didn't know it was supposed to bend that way…

"You know what? Let's get you to Dr. Deaton, little guy. He'll be able to fix you right up." I let the dog sniff my hand again to assure it that I was not going to harm it and gently picked it up, cradling it to my side. "Come on, little dude." Just to be sure, I quickly checked its underside. "Yup, you're a dude, alright."

* * *

I looked up from my phone when my godfather approached. "How's he doing, Doc?"

Alan smiled at me. "He's just fine. The leg was simply dislocated. I set it for him and gave him some medicine. He'll be good as new."

I sighed in relief. "That's the best news I've heard today."

"Do you know who the owners are?" When I had walked in with the dog in my arms, Alan had taken one look at my face and whisked the dog into the back, asking no questions.

"There aren't any, I don't think. I found him in the woods, trapped under the tree. No collar, no note, nothing."

"Well, I'd hate to have to send him to the pound…"

"Can I keep him?"

"Are you sure? Taking care of a puppy is no small challenge."

I nodded. "I'm sure. There's just something about him."

"That's not surprising. You did always love animals as a child."

"Still do, it seems."

"It's a good thing, don't worry. I took the liberty and gave him all of the necessary shots, so you won't have to worry about that."

"Thanks, Alan. Anything else?"

"A lot else comes with raising a puppy, but it's too much for me to just tell you." He walked to the bookshelf and pulled out a book, handing it to me. "You'll find everything you'll need to know in here."

"_Raising a Puppy for Dummies_," I read off the cover. "Really? They have a _For Dummies _for this?"

"Alannah, they have one for nearly everything," Alan responded.

"I guess." I stood up and shook his hand. "Thanks again, Doc. Can I take the little guy home now?"

"So eager!" He smiled softly at me. "Yes, you can take him home. Hopefully, Derek will be alright with you bringing a dog into his place."

Oh, shit. I forgot I lived with other people. "I'll convince him. He can't say no to this."

* * *

"No."

"Come on, Derek!" I complained. "It's one puppy! And I'll take complete care of him, you won't have to do a thing."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't need a reason, this is my place. No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with cherries on top?"

"Hell no."

I glared at him. "I'm two seconds away from getting on my knees and begging."

He shrugged. "I don't care. I'll just walk away."

"I'll scream."

His eyes glowed red for a moment. "I'll make you shut up."

"Okay, tough guy. I didn't want to have to resort to this, but you've forced my hand."

I reached behind my back and held out the puppy to Derek before he could back away. The Beagle whined softly and licked Derek's cheek.

I retracted my hands and held the puppy to my own cheek, both of our eyes shining. "Please?"

Derek growled. "…Fine!" He pointed a finger at me. "But I'm not doing shit for it, we clear?"

"Crystal! Thank you so much, Derek. And this little guy thanks you too." The puppy gave a happy bark.

Derek just rolled his eyes and walked back into his room, closing the door.

I nuzzled the puppy and he licked my face. "Come on, Forest. Let's head up to your new room."

The door to our room was closed when I approached it. I wisely decided to knock, our earlier argument still fresh on my mind.

"Come in." Her voice sounded clipped.

I shifted Forest to one arm and used my other hand to turn the knob. Cora was on the floor, doing sit ups. She didn't even look my way when I walked in but I did see her nose twitch. "Is that a dog?"

I grinned. "Yup. Wanna meet him?"

I saw her upside-down frown, but she nevertheless got up and walked to me. Her eyes remained on the dog in my arms.

"Forest, meet Cora. Cora, this is Forest."

The dog barked at her and sniffed the hand she held out, his tongue flicking out occasionally. "He's cute."

"Yeah, I found him trapped under a tree. He wasn't wearing a collar so I'm keeping him."

"Derek is allowing you to keep a dog here?"

I shrugged. "I turned on the charm." The dog butted his head into my chin and I chuckled. "Okay, okay. Forest here also helped. I didn't know your brother was so susceptible to the puppy dog eyes."

To my surprise, she chuckled. "It's one of his best kept secrets."

I chuckled along with her before sighing. "Look, Cora, I'm really sorry about this morning."

She finally looked me in the eyes. "Are you, Alannah?"

"Yes, I am. I said some stupid shit and I hurt your feelings and I'm sorry. I hate to say that it took Isaac yelling at me to really figure that out, but…"

"Isaac? He talked to you?"

"Yeah. I said it wasn't his business, but he said that as your friend, it was his business. He cares about you."

She looked confused. "Of course he does. And I care about him. He saved my life."

I nodded. "You two would be good together."

She snorted softly. "Isaac and I? He's like a brother to me, Ali."

My eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"You thought I liked him? He's more of an adorable, protective little brother. Not really boyfriend-material."

My heart soared at that statement and I tried not to sound too excited. "I could've sworn I saw some sparks flying between you two."

"Maybe in the beginning. And those sparks were sparks of rivalry, not romance. What on earth made you think I liked him, Alannah?"

I shrugged, absently scratching Forest's ear. "I thought he had a crush on you, and when I asked you about it, you got really defensive. I just assumed from there."

She shook her head. "You know what happens when you assume, right?"

"Hopefully, nothing that involves harming a certain grey-eyed girl?"

"What? No, I was gonna say that it makes an ass out of you and me. What the hell is up with you?"

"It's been a long day, Cora."

"I guess." She looked at the dog again and scratched his chin. "So, where is he supposed to sleep?"

"Uh, I don't know. I need to go out tomorrow and buy some things, like a dog bed and some food and toys."

She placed her hands around Forest's body and gently took him from me. "Why don't you go downstairs and grab a couple bowls, fill one with water and one with some shredded chicken, then come back up here?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Trying to boss me around again, Hale?"

"Yeah, and unless you get moving, both him and I will kick your ass."

I held up my hands in surrender, grinning. "Alright, I'm going."

I headed downstairs and grabbed two bowls from the kitchen cabinet. I filled one with water from the faucet. I opened the fridge and grabbed a chicken cutlet from last night's leftovers. Using my hands, I shredded the chicken into small pieces and filled the second bowl. Making a quick stop into the living room to grab the book Alan gave me, I headed back upstairs to the room.

Cora was back on the floor with Forest, playing with him. The thick blanket that I usually slept on was folded neatly in front of the bed. I placed the two bowls down next to the blanket. She looked up when I walked past her. "That was fast."

"Yeah, I was threatened by a crazy redhead not too long ago and figured the faster, the better."

She smiled. "Sounds like a cool chick to me."

"Yeah, only kinda." I frowned, coming to a realization. "Wait. If he's sleeping here, where am I supposed to sleep?"

"On the bed," she answered.

"But then where will you sleep?"

"On the bed," she said again.

"You're cool with sharing it?"

"Why wouldn't I be? It's a queen size and besides, it gets a little lonely some nights," she teased.

I chuckled, hoping she couldn't see the blush painting my cheeks. "Are you sure? I mean, I can just sleep directly on the floor…"

"It's fine, Ali. I don't mind sharing a bed with you."

"I shift a lot in my sleep," I warned her.

"I'll let you know if you're bugging me."

"How?"

She shrugged. "Maybe I'll just kick you off?"

"You're too kind."

"I try."

Forest barked at me and started pawing at my leg. I leaned down and scratched his ears. "You know, he's surprisingly calm," Cora commented.

"What do you mean?"

"He's in a place chock full of werewolves. Dogs can sense us better than any other animal, besides wolves. They usually go bat shit insane around one of us, but he's very collected."

"He's a Beagle. They're basically famous for their mild temperament and cool collectiveness."

"Well, I'm still impressed. What made you want to keep him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. He was alone and if I hadn't been riding past, I'll bet no one would have ever known he was there. That was a damning realization for me. I know what it's like to be alone and every day I wonder how things would have turned out if I had had just one friend during those times."

"So this is some weird second chance thing?"

"Not necessarily, no. Just a feeling."

"I'm sure he's glad that you decided to keep him."

"I am too. He's a cute little guy."

"That he is." Cora yawned widely and stretched. Because yawns were very infectious, I yawned as well, then Forest. "See what you started?" I joked.

"It is almost midnight, so I'm not sorry. We should all get to bed."

Suddenly, the thought of sharing a bed with her was a whole lot scarier. "Uh, yeah. Let me get him settled."

I picked Forest up and walked to his makeshift doggy bed, placing him on it. He circled a few times before plopping down with a soft huff. I rubbed his head softly and he nipped my hand affectionately. "Good night, Forest."

He barked softly and closed his eyes. I walked out the door and headed into the bathroom.

By the time I got back, Cora was already under the covers. I stripped off my shirt and pants; sleeping in my underwear was the most comfortable for me. I pulled back the blanket and slipped underneath it, trying to get comfy.

"Stop shifting so much," Cora mumbled.

"Sorry."

I eventually settled on lying on my stomach, facing away from Cora. I didn't want her to see my heated cheeks, even though the only light was a small strip of moonlight peeking its way through curtain.

* * *

I awoke a few hours later. I never had been able to sleep through a full night. I went to roll over but found myself unable to.

Sometime during my unconsciousness, I had cuddled up to Cora, or she had cuddled up to me. One arm was stretched underneath her neck and the other was draped across her abdomen. One of her hands was intertwined with the hand I had over her stomach. Our legs had also tangled together.

Unfortunately, the temperature had also risen. The position we were in was making me very hot.

I could tell she was awake; her heartbeat changed a few moments after I awoke.

In spite of the heat, I had no desire to move away.

Neither did she.

* * *

**A/N: You're welcome! And for any people concerned with the lack of action/Alpha pack/whatever else, fret not! We will get back into the action next chapter, and a couple familiar faces will show up.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	5. Not One of Us

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1 for the full disclaimer.**

**Author's Note: Got a bit saucy up in that last chapter, eh? EH?**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Not One of Us**

* * *

My eyelids fluttered open and I shut them immediately when the sunlight shone right into them. Someone had graciously opened up the curtains all the way.

I felt the bed dip slightly before I was assaulted by a wet object slathering all over my face.

"Agh, Forest!" I reached out and detached the puppy from my cheek. He barked happily at me, his tail going a mile a minute. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you! Look at that little face," I cooed.

"Oh, gross." My head snapped to the doorway and I saw Cora walk in, a mock look of disgust on her face. "I just ate, too."

"Don't listen to her, puppy." I nuzzled Forest gently and he licked my nose. "You're just jealous," I said to Cora.

"Yeah, I don't think having you nuzzle my face is at the top of my bucket list."

"Well, it should be. I give good nuzzle."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"…I'm not entirely sure." I placed Forest back down on the bed and he jumped off, running circles around the room. It made me tired just watching him.

"Well, you can figure that out while you get dressed."

"Where are we going?"

"Downstairs. Derek's calling a pack meeting."

I smiled sadly. "Not part of the pack, remember?"

"Maybe not to them, but to me you are, so get dressed and get your ass downstairs."

"Or you'll give me a whooping, I got it. I'll be there in a minute."

She left the room, closing the door behind her.

I dressed quickly. My stomach was growling but I figured it'd be smarter not to keep Derek waiting.

I approached the door and heard a whine behind me. Forest was perched on the bed, gazing up at me longingly.

I sighed. "Alright, come on. But you'd better behave."

I picked him up off the bed and cradled him to me. He gave a short bark, squirming in my arms. "Hey, you wanna come along, right? Either you get carried or you stay here."

He barked again but ceased his squirming.

Heading down the stairs, I was sorely tempted to just walk into the kitchen when I passed it, but decided to listen to my head instead of my stomach.

So, I continued on my way. I made it to the living room just in time to have the last vacant seat taken by Isaac.

I had wanted to stand anyway.

Derek walked in, flanked by the older man who I now knew as Peter Hale, Derek's uncle.

"So, you all know why we're here." His eyes scanned the room and he frowned when they landed on me. "What are you doing here?"

"I told her about the meeting," Cora answered for me.

"This is a meeting for pack members only, Cora."

"She is a part of the pack."

"No, she isn't!"

"And what about Scott, or Stiles?" she argued. "They aren't part of the pack."

"They aren't our enemies."

"And I'm not either," I said. When he glared at me, I cocked an eyebrow. "You don't believe me? If I was your enemy, you would no longer be around to glare at me like that."

He just scowled, wisely choosing not to answer. His scowl deepened when his eyes landed on Forest. "Really? You brought the dog with you?"

I nodded seriously. "This is my special covert op dog. He's secretly going to record everything that's said and then he'll run off to the Alpha pack and play back everything. That way, they'll know all aspects of your little plan."

As all heads turned toward me, I grinned. "Obviously I'm not being serious." I kissed Forest's snout. "He wanted to come along and I figured, why not?"

Derek just shook his head. "I'm not comfortable with you being around."

"Derek…" Cora started to complain but I cut her off with a nonchalant shrug. "It's fine, Cora. He's in the right here and that's cool. Besides, I got some shopping to do with the little guy anyway." I went upstairs to grab the keys to my bike and came back down the stairs, nodding my farewell to everyone. "I'm out. Have fun with your schemes."

* * *

Alan had a couple people in the waiting room when I got there, so I took a seat and waited patiently, giving Forest the occasional scratch.

When he came out from the back, bidding someone a fond farewell, a smile spread onto his face when he saw me. "Ali! What can I do for you?"

I indicated Forest. "Gotta get this little guy documented, right? I'm also gonna need a collar, a dog bed, some dog food, and some toys."

"Well, I can take care of the documentation. I should've taken care of it when I handed him off to you, but I didn't think you wanted to go through all the legality of it. However, the other things will have to be taken care of at a pet store."

"Are there any nearby?"

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The closest one is about thirty miles away."

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, good thing I still have a nice seventy thousand or so to spend."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I can't very well go riding in with a dog in my lap to buy a bunch of stuff with no trunk space to put it, can I?"

"That's very true. What kind of car are you looking at?"

I shrugged. "The Dodge Charger is one nice car. Especially if I got a custom paint job…"

"A custom paint job will take longer than one day, I would suspect."

I grinned. "Not if you flash a bunch of money."

"Am I going to regret telling you about that?" he asked seriously.

"No, of course not. This is the first time I've had money of my own, so just bear with me for a little, okay?"

"I understand. Just try to be conscientious from now on, okay?"

"You got it, Doc." I held Forest out to him. "Wanna take care of all that legal stuff now?"

He took the dog and pointed to a chair. "Sit. I'll be done in a few minutes." He went back behind the counter.

I passed the time by reading a tabloid magazine that someone had generously left on the table. I didn't really give two shits about Kim and Kanye's terrible naming abilities, or the fact that Paula Deen had used a racial slur back in the Stone Age, but it gave me something to do.

True to his word, Alan emerged from the back with Forest three and a half minutes later. He handed me a collar with the dog tag on it, then the dog. "I can loan you this collar for now, but once you buy one, I'll need it back."

"Thanks. But, don't pet stores normally do the pet I.D. thing?"

"Well, yes, but I kind of enjoy doing it myself. Being able to be a part of giving a name to a stray or puppy that I saved and gave up for adoption is a good thing in my eyes."

"I can understand that. Anyway, do you know where the Dodge dealership is?"

"You have an iPhone. Don't those come with GPS capabilities?"

"Aw, Doc…"

"As you can see, I have people waiting on me. Goodbye, Alannah, and good luck. Call if you need any advice on things to buy."

"You're no fun."

* * *

"A Dodge Charger SRT?" the man, Steven, exclaimed. "But those _start_ at almost forty-seven thousand dollars!"

I smiled at him. "I know. I am paying for the best, after all."

"I, I guess." He waved me over to a table and told me to wait while he went to gather the paperwork. "I don't get where these kids get all this money from…" he muttered as he walked away. With my supersonic hearing, I easily caught the sentence and snickered.

He returned a few minutes later and sat down across from me. "Well, Ms…?"

"Gealach. But please, call me Alannah."

"Gealach?" His eyebrows shot upward. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Dillon and Sandra Gealach, would you?"

"Yeah, they were my parents, apparently."

"Apparently?"

"I have no memory of them."

"I'm so sorry, kid. They were good people. Almost everyone in town knew who they were."

"Clearly."

He noticed my tone of voice and smiled apologetically. "But I'll bet you didn't come here to have me bring it up. Why don't we take care of your car?" He removed a pen from his shirt pocket and clicked it. "So, what kind of payment plan were you thinking of?"

"I'd like to pay in full, actually."

"P-pay in full?!" I think I gave him a heart attack.

"Yeah, pay in full." I pulled out my wallet and handed him my platinum card. "You can put it all on this."

He nodded quickly and stood up again. "Let me just talk to my boss and he'll take care of it. I'll return shortly. While you're waiting, would you like to go on a test drive, make sure this car is really what you want?"

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Perfect. Michelle here will take care of that for you." He waved over a young woman who smiled warmly at me. "Happy driving."

"I'm Michelle, and you are?" she greeted me.

"Alannah, at your service." I held out a hand and she gripped it strongly. "Wow, that's quite a firm grip you've got there, Michelle."

She immediately retracted her hand, her face reddening. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Alannah! I hope you're not offended."

"Offended? Of course not! I like a woman with a strong grip. Handshakes are a lot more important when it comes to first impressions then people would think."

Her face brightened. "Oh, I know! I really can't stand women that give a little dainty shake, like they're afraid or something. I just can't take them seriously."

"I hear you there. So, shall we get this test drive underway?"

"Of course. Right this way, Alannah."

* * *

"So, what'd you think?"

I closed the car door, grinning. "That was one smooth ride."

"I thought you'd like it. Out of all the Charger models, it's the most expensive and the one with the most perks and smoothest ride."

"Well, I figured the price would be that high for a reason."

"Quite an intuitive person, aren't you?" she teased.

"I try, I try."

"And you succeed, it seems."

"Ladies!" Steven greeted us as we walked through the glass doors of the dealership. "I take it the test drive went well?"

"Oh, yeah. It's one hell of a car."

"Excellent!" He handed back my credit card. "The funds are all taken care of. Only thing that's left is picking a color."

"I was thinking the granite crystal."

"Fantastic choice, Ms. Gealach! Let me grab the keys to your new car." He hurried away.

"So, the granite crystal, huh?"

I looked at Michelle. "What? Not cool enough?"

"Oh no, it's _very _cool."

"Somehow, I feel that you're mocking me."

"Me? Mock you? Oh, perish the thought, child!"

I snorted. "I'm no child. And how old are you, exactly?"

"I'm twenty."

"See? You have no right to call me a child." I crossed my arms to emphasize my point.

"Says the pouting child."

"I'm eighteen; I'm no dang kid."

She grinned at me. "Of course not."

I stayed silent. Thankfully, Steven reappeared with a key a minute later. He held it out with a smile. "You are now the proud owner of a Dodge Charger SRT. Treat her well."

I took the key, smiling back. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything but." I glanced at Michelle. "Well, Michelle, it's been fun, but unfortunately, I must go."

"Oh, no! Whatever will I do without your pleasurable company?"

"Take a picture. It lasts longer," I joked.

"Unfortunately for you, I'd rather not break my camera."

Steven lightly smacked her on the arm. "Michelle! This is a valued customer!"

"It's alright, Steven," I reassured him. "Just some friendly banter."

He visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Ms. Gealach. Now, if you'd like to head outside? Your car should be waiting."

He went to lead me out, but I held up a hand. "No, it's alright. I'll let myself out." I shook hands with him. "Thanks for everything, Steven." I then held out a fist to Michelle, who hesitantly brought up her own to lightly tap against mine. "Nice meeting you, Michelle. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe you will."

I turned on my heel and walked out. I whistled once, loud and shrill, and Forest came running out of the surrounding trees. I opened the door to the passenger side and he hopped in, stretching out on the seat and barking.

I walked around and situated myself in the driver's seat, turning on the car. "Alright, little guy. Time to go buy you some fancy dog stuff."

* * *

"Welcome to PetSmart!" a cashier greeted warmly when I walked in, Forest secured snugly in the upper part of the shopping cart.

"Alright, little buddy. First things first, let's pick you out a collar."

I reached the aisle I needed and decided on a methodical approach. Walking slowly, I shook my head at most of the options. "Too sparkly, too spiky, too feminine…" I muttered.

My eyes alighted on a brown leather collar. I held it to Forest and he sniffed it. "I think this collar will compliment your fur nicely, don't you?"

He licked my hand and barked shortly. "Yeah, I thought so."

Dropping the collar into the cart, I headed for the back of the store, where they kept the dog beds. "Hmm…you don't need anything too big, and I don't want to get you a kennel…"

I spotted a burgundy one that looked the perfect size and read the blurb underneath the price. "Personalized Microfiber Quilted Bolster Bed with Moisture Barrier Protection? That sounds really fancy. But, nothing but the best for my little Forest!" I rubbed his head affectionately. "Although, the color isn't really doing it for me…"

I then saw the same bed in a light tan. "Perfect."

The dog food wasn't very far from the dog beds, so I headed for that aisle next. I read in _Raising a Puppy For Dummies_ that there was no one best dog food brand; different dogs react differently to different dog foods. What's great for one breed could be bad for another. What I should look for was foods that had a high meat content, no byproducts, high quality grains, no fillers/preservatives/food dye, etc., etc. Apparently, there was one brand, Canidae, that many different people trusted.

Thankfully, they had some, so I picked up a few bags. Better to buy in bulk.

The dog treats were next. I didn't want to pick up anything that was too hard for Forest's growing teeth, so I just grabbed a few boxes and bags of soft ones with various flavors. I made sure that they were mostly free, if not all the way free, of preservatives.

I also made sure to grab a couple of bowls before heading to toy section. I bypassed the leash aisle; I was planning on allowing Forest complete freedom when it came to walking him.

"Alright little guy, for this one, you've gotta make the decisions." I picked him up and placed him on the ground. He instantly trotted up to crate that had squeaky chew toys and nosed through it, his jaws eventually closing upon a skunk.

"Really, a skunk?" I asked him. He ignored me and began chewing on the toy. I pulled it from him and placed it in the cart. He whined at me, his tail wagging. "No, no, we aren't buying you just one toy. You're gonna get bored of that one soon."

He barked at me but turned and started biting at a double knotted tug rope hanging from a hook. I grabbed that one and tossed it in the cart as well.

I also grabbed a couple tennis balls. I had every intention of teaching him how to play fetch. I rounded off his toy purchases with a plastic bone and a small Batman plush toy, because hey, who doesn't like Batman?

There wasn't a line at checkout, so he and I were out of there a few minutes later. I took care of switching the collars before I put Forest back in the car. It was dark out by now, so I would have to return Alan's collar tomorrow.

"Ready to go, little dude?" I asked as I turned on the car.

Forest barked once and went back to chewing his bone, which I was smart enough to place in the front seat with him to keep him occupied.

The drive back to Derek's place was quiet. Forest was completely engrossed in biting the shit out of his bone and I was simply enjoying the silence. The Charger really was a smooth and relaxing ride; I made a good choice.

When I got back to Derek's apartment loft, I allowed Forest to enter before me, carrying all the bags in one hand and opening the door with the other. I spotted Stiles on the couch, watching T.V. "Hey, Stiles, where is everybody?"

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the screen. "When I came by, everyone was already gone. My dad is still working, so I figured I'd come here."

"Okay…" It was clear from his tone that he still didn't really trust me. Not that I blamed him.

"Well, I'm gonna go upstairs and get Forest all set up. Holler if you need anything."

I took his silence as an affirmation and went up the stairs into my room, dropping the bags on the ground.

I laid out the dog bed first, by the foot of Cora's bed. I then filled up one bowl with his food and headed back downstairs to fill the other bowl with water. These I set down next to the dog bed. I placed the bags of food in a corner along with the treats. "No coming over here to try and mooch extra food or treats, okay?" He barked at me.

"I'm serious. You'll be in big trouble otherwise," I said firmly. Dusting my hands off, I smiled contentedly. I would be a great dog owner.

* * *

I was on the floor playing tug of war with Forest when Cora stumbled in. I turned to greet her with a smile but I immediately changed my mind when I saw the crestfallen look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"De-Derek," she choked out. "He's…dead."

I jumped to my feet. "What? How?"

"We were planning on launching an attack on the Alpha pack to take down Deucalion. Just him. But Scott and Isaac went to talk to them on their own. Deucalion knew we were there and the rest of his pack was too. We started fighting and Derek was taking on Ennis…and then they both fell over. It was a long fall, Ali…"

I wrapped my arms around her and she started sobbing into my shoulder. I led us to the bed and sat us down. Forest jumped up and laid his head in her lap, whining softly.

"Are you sure, Cora?" I asked.

"I don't-I don't know! I saw him fall and I heard him hit the ground, but both of their bodies are just gone!"

"So there's a chance he isn't dead."

"Maybe, I don't know!" she wailed. "I just…everything happened so fast, I don't know what to think…"

"It's alright…"

She pushed me away, her eyes hard. "It's alright?! How can you say that, Ali? I just watched my brother die!"

"You don't know that! He could very well be alive, healing his wounds as we speak."

"And if he's not?"

I fell silent. "…I'm just trying to be logical, Cora."

"Of course you are. You don't care. You aren't part of the pack, so why would you?"

"That isn't what I..."

"Just forget it. I'm going to bed. Good night, Alannah."

She got up and turned off the light then stared at me pointedly until I moved off the bed, taking Forest with me.

I placed him in his dog bed and gave him a quick rub on the head before stripping down to my underwear and laying out the thick blanket I usually slept on.

As I lay down and pulled a thinner blanket over myself, I lamented the fact that I probably wouldn't sleep tonight.

A few hours later, I was still wide awake. My brain could really be my enemy sometimes.

"…Ali?" Cora's hesitant voice drifted through the darkness.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"I have a favor to ask."

"Shoot."

"Do you think…you could sleep up here again?"

I didn't ask any questions, simply got up and slipped under the covers. Cora immediately melted into my side, sniffling into the crook of my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed softly.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, her breath causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.

"For what?"

"I was a bitch earlier."

I shrugged. "I understand. Your brother may very well be dead and you witnessed it."

"Still, it wasn't your fault and I had no right to take it out on you. You were just trying to comfort me and that means a lot."

"Cora, I'd take your bitchiest comments any day if it helped you feel better."

I could feel her look up into my eyes. "Really?"

"Of course. What else are best friends for?"

* * *

**A/N: There you go. You're very welcome. I decided to put in the Derek's 'death' part (but it won't play out like the show, no worries) cause I felt it would be great for the Alannah/Cora relationship building stuff. Also, for STEREK! Yes, I admit, I am a DIE HARD STEREK FAN! If you don't like that….sorry?**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	6. A Brother's Farewell

**Disclaimer: See the first chappie for the full one, yeargh! Yee scallywags want to meet me pet parrot?**

**Author's Note: You all saw the most recent episode, "Currents" right? *sniffles* I mean, why? I liked Boyd. Even though he was an **_**extremely **_**underappreciated, undercharacterized, underdeveloped, etc. character, I still liked him. He was the shy loner type dude that I can always relate with, yanno? BOYD! (Where'd you go? I miss you so. Feels like it's been forever. Since you've been gone. Please come back home.) If you know which song those lyrics are to, I love you! Anywho, I haven't **_**quite **_**decided if I'm gonna stick with that canon part. I do plan on developing him more than the show did (I mean, I say that now, but… :/) so I dunno. We'll see, I guess.**

**P.S. I know that I mentioned on my post-A.N. for chapter 4 that I would get back into the action and stuff last chapter…and I totally lied. I AM SO SORRY. But, in my defense, when you're writing a story, the best thing to do is allow the characters and such to write themselves, yanno? The last chapter spoke to me (because I am a certified psychic/medium/other supernatural stuff) and I had to do what the story wanted. She can be **_**very **_**persuasive…**

* * *

**Chapter Six: A Brother's Farewell**

* * *

When I opened my eyes, Cora was still snuggled comfortably into my side. It had taken nearly an hour for her to finally fall asleep. I had spent that entire time period stroking her hair and murmuring reassurances into her ear.

There was a soft knock on the door. I carefully and gently lifted Cora's arm from my abdomen and snuck out of the bed. Opening the door, I was only slightly surprised to see Isaac. He went to speak but I placed a quick finger to my lips and quietly shut the door, leading him back downstairs. "I figured what you want to talk about shouldn't be overheard by Cora. I only just got her to fall asleep."

He nodded slowly. "Good call." He ran a hand through his curls. "This is just…I don't even know what to think."

I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms. "Do you think he's really dead?"

"I don't know. I don't want to believe it but I saw him fall. I heard him hit the ground and he hit it hard."

"Cora said the same thing. What I don't understand is how both his and Ennis' bodies just disappeared."

"I don't get it either. I can understand Ennis' being gone, though. The other Alphas must have picked him up."

"You think so?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense."

I shook my head. "They're frighteningly practical. The only reason they'd even think about removing his body is if…" I furrowed my brow. "Is if they thought…no, if they _knew _he wasn't dead…"

Isaac looked at me hopefully. "Then that means…"

"Ennis is still alive," I whispered. A grin slowly started spreading on my face. "And if Ennis is alive, then Derek must be too!"

Isaac sighed, relieved. "Good. Now, the only problem is…where did he go?"

"Maybe if we find Ennis, we find Derek, or at least a clue?"

"How so?"

"I have no idea. I'm just running on blind faith now."

"Well, you used to be one of them, right? So think like them: where would you take Ennis if he was on the brink of death?"

"I'd take him somewhere private, where he'd be able to heal in peace. But, I'm going to go ahead and assume that with such injuries, he'd need outside help."

"So…?"

"So I'd take him to someone who knows how to treat one of us."

We shared a look. "There's only one person that any of us know that fits that description," Isaac said.

"Yeah," I replied. "My godfather."

* * *

We exited my car and slowly approached the door that led into Alan's clinic. "Any idea what we'll find in there?" Isaac asked me.

"I really hope it'll just be him and Ennis. But I highly doubt it."

"What if they try to attack us?"

I shook my head. "They won't. This clinic is surrounded by mountain ash, for starters."

"How the hell are we supposed to get in?"

"The same way we always do. Through the front door."

"Wait, how is it that we've been able to go back and forth all this time? We're not supposed to be able to get through a circle."

"I honestly don't know. Maybe he only completes the circle when he senses a threat. Or maybe there's some weird magic shit that allows him to choose who he lets through."

Isaac gave me a look. "Are you serious?"

I shot him one right back. "You got any better hypotheses?" When he didn't answer, I smirked. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

Taking a deep breath, I pushed through the door. "Alan?"

I was greeted by very angry red eyes. "What the hell are you doing here, Alannah?"

"I can go where I please, Kali," I snarled back.

"Alannah? What's going on?"

I stopped glaring at the barefooted bitch to smile at Alan. "Hey, Doc. We just had a few questions."

He nodded seriously. "Of course. If you'd just follow me?"

We started to head back behind the counter with Deaton but I nodded a greeting at Ethan beforehand. "Hey, Ethan."

"Hey, Alannah."

I was just barely able to catch the incredulous look Kali shot the young Alpha.

Alan led us into his office and closed the door. "What do you need, Alannah?"

"Is Ennis here?"

"Yes, but I know that isn't what you came here for."

"Do you know where Derek is?" Isaac asked.

Deaton shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, I don't. The only reason Ennis is here is because they brought him."

"Why are you helping them?" Isaac demanded.

Alan fixed him with a hard stare. "Because they would have gone after all of you if I hadn't, Isaac."

That shut him up. "They threatened you?" I growled.

He smiled. "No, it was something I assumed on my own. With a little help."

"Good. If they do ever try to threaten you, just tell me. I'll take care of them."

"You'd take on an entire pack of Alphas just for me?" he asked teasingly.

I shrugged. "Anything for family."

"Can we please get back to Derek?" Isaac interrupted.

"Ah, yes. I truly do not know where he is. I did hope he would somehow find his way here and I could heal him but he hasn't shown up."

"Dammit!" Isaac cursed. "We need to find him! And soon! If Ennis can't even heal without your help, what could Derek do on his own?"

"Maybe he's stronger than you think," Alan offered.

I snorted. "That'll be the day."

He smiled. "I see you two have reignited your rivalry."

"What? What rivalry?"

"Ask him. Or Cora. Or even Peter. Any one of them could tell you dozens of stories." He grew serious. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you." He stuck his hands in his lab coat pockets. "At least I was able to save one."

"Do you think…I could see him?"

"You can't be serious!" Isaac cried.

"Deadly. Ennis was a brother to me. I still care about him."

"He's our enemy!"

"He's _your _enemy," I corrected. "And besides, he helped save my life."

"What are you talking about? Derek and Dr. Deaton helped save your life."

"I'm almost positive Ennis was the one who brought me to Derek's place."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, Kali hates me, so she wouldn't have done it. Aiden is…Aiden. Deucalion was the one who tried to kill me, so he's definitely out. Ethan would be the only other one who may have, but he's too afraid of Deucalion to go against him. Which leaves Ennis."

Isaac just shook his head. "I don't agree with it, but it's your call."

"Thank you, Isaac."

"Whatever. I'll just wait outside, give you two some privacy."

I placed a hesitant hand on his arm. "Seriously, thank you." I turned back to Alan. "Where is he?"

"Just down the hall. I'll take you to him."

Isaac and I followed the vet out the door and down the hallway. Deaton stopped by the door and I stepped through it alone.

"Ennis?" I said softly.

His eyes were closed but I could see and hear him breathing. "…Lanna?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"What are you…doing here? Kali…"

"…won't be a problem, relax. She can't do anything. Alan saved your life."

"You think…that'll stop her?"

"I guess you have a fair point. I don't think she's that dumb, but hey, I've been wrong before."

"Why don't you…tell us how you…really feel?" He chuckled gently then coughed.

I was at his side immediately, placing a hand on his chest. "Hey, don't overdo it."

"…This? Just…a flesh wound."

"You're always trying to be the tough guy. That's what wound you up here in the first place you know."

"I wasn't…the only one."

"Well, unfortunately, we don't know where Derek is."

"His body was gone…before the others…came to get me."

I frowned. "Before? Maybe his injuries aren't as bad?"

"Maybe..I don't know."

"We'll just have to figure it out."

"Lanna? Why…are you really here?"

"I came to make sure you're okay."

"But…why?" His eyes finally opened and he turned his gaze toward me. "Like it…or not, I'm your…enemy now. I attacked Derek…and the others."

"I know," I said sadly. "I know that. But, you were a brother to me, Ennis. A real brother. You were always nice to me. You always tried to help me out when you could. I guess…I just don't want to let that go."

"I'm not a good person. None…of us are."

"I don't care," I said softly. "You were family. And family sticks together, no matter what."

He gave a gentle shake of his head. "Not us. You know…Deucalion will kill me."

I could feel the hot prickle of tears threatening to fall but I blinked them back. "No, he won't. He can't!"

"He will. I can't…stop it. And neither can you."

"I'll do everything I can to. I won't let him take you from me."

He smirked. "You sound like…a jealous ex-girlfriend." His eyes swiveled up toward the ceiling but his eyes were glazed, as if staring past the roof into the sky and beyond. "I failed him."

"No, you didn't. You fell."

"In his eyes…I failed. He doesn't take failure kindly."

"How can you just lie there and give up?!" I nearly screamed at him.

"Because…I'm tired, Alannah."

I paused. "Tired? Tired of what?"

"Of all of this…I've done terrible things, Lanna."

"You never cared before, so why now?"

"I don't know. Maybe…because I know…I'm about to die. They say…that in your final moments…you truly realize the person…that you were." He turned back to me. "I killed my own pack…for power. Every last one. They…trusted me to…protect them. I betrayed that trust."

"You've done bad things, Ennis, I get that. But you're not a bad person. A bad person wouldn't regret those actions. Deucalion is a bad person. Kali is a bad person. You are not." Against my wishes, a tear started trailing a path down my cheek. "If you were a bad person, why were you always kind to me? You treated me like a sister."

"You…reminded me of my…own sister." He sighed. "I screwed…up with her. I saw you…as a second chance."

"I'm proud to call you my brother. My family."

"That…means more…than you'll ever know." He closed his eyes again. "Deucalion is here."

"Please, Ennis! You can't give up, you need to fight this!"

"I don't…want to. You need to…let me go, Alannah. It's over."

"What am I supposed to do without you?"

"Learn from my mistakes. Don't…betray the trust of those…important to you. Love those around you…with all of your heart. Allow…people to help…when you need it."

I giggled through my tears. "You sound like a motivational speaker."

"Thanks. But…I mean it, Alannah." He placed his own hand over the one I had on his chest and squeezed it softly. "And…don't let Deucalion win. It sucks…that it took until now…for me to realize…how evil he really is. But…you can beat him."

"How? He's the Demon Wolf."

"And you…are the only one who can…stop him."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not…ready to know what you…really are. Not yet. But he knows…and so do the others. Why'd you think…he allowed a fourteen year old…wimp to join our pack?"

I smiled through the tears that were now flowing freely. "I promise you. I will beat him."

"Thank you." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Goodbye, Alannah."

"Goodbye, Ennis."

I turned on my heel and left the room, wiping my tears on my sleeve. "Alannah?" Isaac actually sounded worried. "What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you in the car." I looked at Alan, who simply nodded at me. "I'll see ya, Doc."

"I'm sorry, Alannah."

"I know." Alan walked into Ennis' room.

Isaac and I passed by Deucalion in the hallway on our way out. He said nothing and neither did I. I had no words to speak that would convey what I wanted. I'd have to tell him through actions, one day.

As we reached the lobby, Kali glared at me. "You'd better tell Derek that we're coming for him."

When I looked at her in slight surprise, she smiled darkly. "I know he's alive. And I know you'll find him."

I didn't respond. I didn't want to waste my breath on her.

Once we reached the car and got in, Isaac spoke. "So what happened in there?"

"Deucalion is going to kill him."

"What? Why?"

"Deucalion doesn't like failure. Ennis failed him."

"But why kill him?"

"I just told you why. And this way, Deucalion gets his power as well."

"That's wrong. How could you have been a part of that?"

"I didn't have a choice. It was either them, or death."

"Do you think you made the right decision, then?"

"I don't know. One thing I do know, however, is that Deucalion will pay for this."

* * *

"Where have you guys been?" Scott greeted us as we walked in. He was standing by the table, along with Peter, Cora, Boyd, Stiles and two girls I didn't recognize. One had long red hair and the other had shorter, dark brown hair that was curled at the end. She was standing rather close to Scott.

"We were at your boss' place," Isaac answered.

"Dr. Deaton's? Why?"

"To see if he knew where Derek was." At Scott's questioning stare, I shook my head. "He didn't."

"Was Ennis there?" Peter asked.

I clenched my fists, my claws biting into my palms. "Yes," I growled. "But Deucalion is going to kill him, if he hasn't already."

A collective gasp went around the table. Even Peter looked slightly shaken. "Why would he kill one of his own Alphas?" Stiles asked.

"Because in his eyes, Ennis failed him."

"How do you know that?" Boyd asked quietly.

"I spoke with him. Ennis knew what was coming."

"You spoke to him?" Stiles asked incredulously.

I glared at him. "Got a problem with that?" I snarled. "In case you've forgotten, they were my pack."

"You're an Alpha?" The dark haired girl asked.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, and who are you?"

"This is Allison," Scott answered. "And that's Lydia."

Lydia, huh? She was the one that Aiden was going after, then…but I'd keep that to myself for now.

"It's nice to meet you and all, but why are you here?"

"They're going to help us find Derek," Scott replied.

"What do they know?"

He hesitated and I waved him off. "Relax, Scott. What's the harm in telling me?"

"I guess…Allison is a former hunter and Lydia is kind of a genius."

"A hunter and a genius, huh? That should be helpful."

Isaac and I joined them around the table. "So what do we know?"

"Next to nothing, I'm afraid," Peter said. "I'd like to say I know my nephew well enough to guess where he is, but we all know that isn't the case."

"No one has any ideas? None whatsoever?"

"Not as far as I can tell, no."

"Well, we need to. Otherwise, Derek will die."

"Do you have anything?"

I shrugged. "Not really, no. If I had to take a guess though, I'd say he's still in the town. With his injuries, he can't have gotten far."

"That doesn't really help," Stiles commented.

"I don't see you coming up with anything better," I shot back.

"Guys, not now," Boyd interrupted. "Finding Derek is the priority right now."

I gripped the top of the chair. "Is there anywhere he would go that he'd feel safe? Someplace he could at least try to heal in peace?"

"You mean besides here?" Scott asked.

I struggled not to roll my eyes. "Yes, besides here."

A small bark broke through the following brief silence and Forest came bounding down the stairs and began pouncing on my leg, his tail wagging furiously. "Hey, little guy." I bent down and picked him up, giving him a quick kiss on the nose.

"He's been looking for you all morning," Cora said, looking at him fondly.

"Yeah, I've got to get him used to me not being around all the time. But, that's for another day." I shifted the Beagle to one arm and scratched my cheek with my free hand. "Where the hell could he be? It's not even that big of a town, to be honest."

"What about the Hale house?" Isaac suggested.

"I don't think he'd go back there," Peter responded. "Too many…memories."

"It's worth a try," Boyd argued. "We don't have any better ideas at this point."

"I'll go," Stiles quickly volunteered. When everyone's heads turned to look at him, he hastily tried to cover his outburst. "I mean, I don't have anything better to do, so…"

"I'll go with you," Isaac said.

"So will I," Scott added.

"And if you don't find him?" Peter asked.

"Then we keep thinking. And we keep guessing and we keep looking," Cora stated. "Until we find him."

Peter shrugged. "Just don't get your hopes up."

Stiles grabbed his keys and the trio of boys left the apartment. The rest of us sort of drifted in different directions. Lydia and Allison left soon after, with Peter following suit a little while later. Boyd returned to his room and Cora headed upstairs to ours.

I remained downstairs for a time while Forest fell asleep in my lap.

Everything that had happened in the clinic just hit me like a sack of bricks to the face. How could Ennis be dead? Worse, how could Deucalion have killed him over something so…_stupid? _Ennis had been a loyal member of the pack since I'd known him, always following orders. And now, it turns out that he actually regretted what he'd done. He just gave up.

I heard Forest whine and I looked down to find him staring up at me, a worried look in his eyes. "I'm alright, Forest. Just a bit sad."

He whined again and licked my hand. I lifted him off of my lap and tucked him against my side. "Come on, I'll bet you're hungry."

Upstairs, I filled his food bowl and put him down next to it. Cora was laying down again, her back to me. I gently sat down on the other side and put my head in my hands.

"Do you think they'll find him?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't know. Here's hoping."

She must have noticed my tone of voice because I felt her sit up and place a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Ennis is dead. He's _dead_, Cora."

"I'm sorry, Ali. I really am."

"No you're not."

Her hand retracted immediately. "What?"

I pulled my face from my fingers and looked at her. "You're not sorry. He's an Alpha, your enemy. Now that he's dead, that's just one less that needs to be fought. You don't need to apologize." I ran a hand through my hair. "I understand."

She frowned at me. "He was important to you, wasn't he?"

"He was a brother."

"Then I am sorry. His death is obviously hard for you. You cared about him."

I felt the tears from earlier welling up again. "Don't." I swallowed thickly and turned away. "Don't lie to me."

"Why are you so convinced that I'm lying? Is it so hard to believe that I actually care?" she practically shouted.

"Care about what?" I snarled.

"Care about _you_."

The tears were a waterfall down my face but I whipped my head back around anyway. "What did you say?"

"I said I care about you. I won't lie, I'm not sad about him being dead. But, I am sad that you're upset."

I knew she wasn't lying. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm just…angry."

"At what?"

"I'm angry at Deucalion for killing him! I'm angry at him for just fucking giving up! How could he do that? He just laid there and took it! He didn't even try to fight!"

"What was he supposed to do, Alannah? He was almost killed by that fall, there wasn't any way he could've stopped Deucalion."

"He could've tried! He could've done _something!_"

"No, he couldn't have, and you know it."

"Then I should've done something! I should've fought him, stopped him!"

"Ennis asked you not to, didn't he?"

"How-how did you know that?"

"You _would _have done something if he hadn't. Instead, you respected his wish and let him have what he wanted. You can't blame yourself for that, Alannah."

"If not me, then who?"

"Deucalion," she said simply. "This is his fault and he's going to pay. For all of it."

I looked at the ground. "…How could I have not known how evil he is?"

"You didn't want to. He saved your life and you wanted to see nothing but the best in him."

I wiped away my tears and took a deep breath. "You're right. Damn it all but you're right."

"I'm always right."

I chuckled. "Hardly."

"What are you trying to say, Gealach?"

I looked at her. "I didn't stutter, Hale."

She was staring back at me, a soft smile on her face. Holy shit, she really was beautiful…

She looked like she was about to say something else, but her phone decided to choose that moment to go off. She looked at the caller I.D. quickly and grabbed it, putting it on speaker. "Boyd?"

"_Hey."_

"Did you find him?"

"_Yeah, we did. But…it doesn't look good, Cora."_

* * *

**A/N: And once again, the story took a different turn then what I had intended. Fret not, the action and feels and STEREK will be all over the place next chapter. I will make the story do what I want! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. I don't think I've said it yet, but to all y'all who favorited/followed/reviewed, YOU'RE THE BESTEST. Fo' serious, though, you guys rock. The reviews I'm getting are making me grin, you have no idea. People are liking it and that's good and all, but the reviews are just…*sighs happily* I haven't really been doing it because I'm currently recovering from tonsillitis as well as getting ready to have a tonsillectomy, but starting this update, I'm going to be replying to the reviews. You awesome homies deserve it. Peace out, my friends!**

**P.P.S. I know Ennis is DEFINITELY a lot more developed and such, especially in this chapter, but seeing as Alannah is there and they developed a brother/sister relationship, I feel it's appropriate. Having someone like her around (for him at least) changed his character from the one we all knew in the show. If you didn't like that, JUST GO AWAY. Jkjkjkjk, but seriously, don't be flaming me or nothing.**


	7. Premonition

**Disclaimer: Y'all know what ya gotta do for full one.**

**Author's Note: So, we're all here for one reason. And that reason is on the next line ;D**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Premonition**

* * *

Scott and Stiles came barging through the front door of Derek's loft with Boyd following close behind, supporting Derek. The Alpha looked like he was about to pass out. His torso was covered with various lacerations. I could tell that some were from claws while others were probably from the fall he took.

"Get him down on the bed!" Scott ordered Boyd.

Boyd nodded and quickly placed Derek on his bed, Derek letting out a low groan as his back hit the mattress.

"What do we do now?" Boyd asked worriedly. "He isn't healing!"

"What?" Stiles cried. "Why the hell isn't he healing?"

"I don't know!" Boyd shouted back.

Isaac held out his hands toward both boys. "Guys, this isn't helping! You both need to calm down." He turned to Peter. He, as well as Allison and Lydia had rushed back to the loft after hearing the news. "Do you know why he isn't healing?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You've been a werewolf longer than all of us. I was hoping you'd know something."

Peter rubbed his goatee. "There's a list of possibilities, Isaac."

"Well, can you narrow it down at all?"

"I can certainly try. I would say it's either because of wolfsbane or because his wounds were inflicted by an Alpha. Those two possibilities are the most common I've seen. However, he isn't showing signs of being sick and seeing as he's an Alpha himself, his wounds should heal normally. So, in my professional opinion, I think it's something bigger than that. The mind is a powerful force and can reign all types of havoc on the body."

"Hold on," Lydia spoke up. "You're saying you think it's psychosomatic?"

"Precisely."

I tapped my chin. "That would make sense. Problem is, we don't know what happened to him after he fell."

"What does psychosomatic mean?" Stiles asked.

"Physical symptoms that originate from mental or emotional causes," Lydia replied.

"So, to put it simply, Derek isn't allowing himself to heal."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "The most common reason is guilt, followed by anger or self-resentment."

"You think he's feeling guilty about something?" Scott asked.

"Possibly. Or he may be punishing himself out of anger for allowing himself to fall," Peter added.

"But, I was technically the one who caused him to fall," Scott said.

"Well, yes, but he may not view it that way."

"Derek isn't the type to hurt himself or allow himself to be hurt as punishment," Cora argued.

"Yeah, he doesn't strike me as the type," I agreed. "Which means it must be guilt that's causing this."

"But what exactly could get Derek so regretful that he'd do this to himself?" Stiles asked. "This is Derek we're talking about."

"Well, Peter, Cora, you know Derek the best. What could cause such a reaction?"

They looked at each other and nodded together. "Death," they responded simultaneously.

"Care to elaborate?"

"If he believed he was responsible for someone's death, it would tear him up inside," Cora explained. "He wasn't always the way he is now. The Hale fire, along with…"

"Cora," Peter warned.

She hastily backtracked. "Well, certain things changed him."

I made a mental note to ask about that later.

"Someday soon, we'll tell you the other part to the story," Peter said. It's like he read my mind. He looked at me when he said it and shook his head almost imperceptibly. I knew right away he was telling me not to ask Cora about it. Huh, maybe he cares more than anyone realizes.

"So, all we need to do now is figure out whose death he thinks he caused," Isaac concluded.

Peter raised a finger. "Or, whose death he thinks he's _going _to cause."

Suddenly, everything clicked. "Deucalion," I growled.

Peter nodded. "I think our resident Alpha leader paid my dearest nephew a visit."

"And knowing Deucalion, he probably filled Derek's head with a shitload of lies," I finished. "Damn it. I should've seen this coming."

"Should we ask Derek?" Stiles suggested.

"Will he even say anything?" Boyd sounded unconvinced. "You know how much he loves to share."

"Well, what do we do? How are we supposed to find out if we don't ask him?"

"We could always go straight to the source," Peter said thoughtfully.

"No!" Cora's response was immediate.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Stiles agreed.

"No, it isn't, actually!" Cora replied again.

"This could work, Cora." Isaac tried to reason with her. "Who better to tell us than the one who said it?"

"Only one of us would be able to go to Deucalion without getting killed," she said hotly.

"Alannah knows the importance of this as well as we do, Cora. You need to put your personal feelings aside," Peter responded.

She went to argue again but I placed a soft hand on her arm. "Hey, it's cool. They're right. Deucalion won't kill me. I'm the only one he'd ever even consider telling out of all of us."

"How are you so sure he won't kill you?"

I frowned. "He has something planned for me, I know it. Apparently, there's something special about me. I don't know what it is but all of them do. I'm sure I'll find out one day. Anyway, that isn't the point. I'll be fine, Cora."

She hesitated but finally sighed, defeated. "Fine, but I'll kill you if you die."

I grinned. "That isn't actually possible. You can't kill a dead person."

She punched me in the arm as an answer. "You know what I mean, you ass."

"You're so violent." I turned my eyes toward the others, nodding. "I'll be back. Hopefully."

* * *

The door opened only a small amount, just enough for his face to poke through. "Alannah, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Hey, Ethan."

He quickly checked behind him, his face worried. "You shouldn't be here."

"I need to speak with Deucalion. That's all. No funny business, just a quick chat."

He shook his head. "I can't. He'll be furious."

"Ethan, let her in." I heard his voice call from inside and Ethan sighed. He pulled the door all the way open and stood to the side. "Come on."

Deucalion was sitting at the table, his trusty walking stick at his side. "Alannah, what a pleasant surprise."

"Why don't we skip the pleasantries, Duke? We both know why I'm here."

He smiled. "I see your little group of Betas has finally located their Alpha, hmm?"

"What did you say to him?"

"I spoke only the truth, Ali. It is not my fault he is unable to handle it."

"That's bullshit, Deucalion. I know you told him to shake him up, make him unsure of himself. What are you trying to do?"

He leaned back in the chair and clasped his hands on the table. "I'm not trying to do anything, Alannah. I'm actually trying to help him. Give him a warning of the future."

"What do you mean?"

"You do not know the full extent of my powers. No one but I knows. You'll find that those powers extend to…the ability of creation."

I was becoming increasingly frustrated with his cryptic speech. "Stop talking in circles! I want to know what you told him and I want to know now!" I slammed my fists on the table and it broke in two.

He rose up and pulled off his glasses. His eyes were glowing brightly. "You think you can come in here and threaten me?" he shouted. "You know nothing, you pathetic child!"

I flinched only slightly. "I'm not afraid of you," I snarled.

"You should be." He replaced his glasses on his face. "If you must know, I simply showed him the identity of the one that he will soon kill."

"What? Who is it?"

"That is for you to figure out. I've given you what you came here for. Now leave."

"No, tell me who it is!"

He was in my face a moment later, his hand tight around my throat. "Get out or I will kill you where you stand."

I was able to get a hand in between our bodies and shoved him back. "You can't kill me."

"You foolishly underestimate me, Ali. You know I could easily do so."

"No, you can't. Whatever I am, whatever you're keeping from me, it's got you scared. Ennis told me I'm the only one who has the power to beat you."

"You believed the words of a man that knew he was about to die by my hand. What he told you was simply his final act of defiance."

"That's a lie."

"Believe what you will, Alannah. You always do." He went to turn away to retire to his room but I called out to him.

"Who is it? Who is Derek supposed to kill?"

"You already know the answer." With that, he was gone.

Ethan was still standing by the door when I approached it. "Take care of yourself, Ethan," I said as I walked over the threshold.

He nodded and gave me a brief smile. Before the door shut, I was able to catch his words.

"It was you."

* * *

When I got back to the loft, Cora got up from her chair and walked to me. "What happened?" At my surprised look, she shrugged. "It's written all over your face. So, I'll ask again: what happened?"

"I went to see him."

"No shit, Sherlock. In case you've forgotten, my brother is currently bleeding out and we haven't been able to do much to help."

"Right, I'm sorry," I apologized. "He gave him a vision of the future, so he says."

Her eyes widened. "He can do that?"

"No one knows the full extent of his powers except him. I wouldn't doubt it."

"Well, what was the vision?"

"…He's supposed to kill someone."

"Shit, Peter was right. Who is it?"

I hesitated and she noticed. "Who is it, Ali?"

"I can't tell you."

"You can't try and protect one of us. We need to know."

"No, no one needs to know."

"I do, at least. He's my brother."

"Regardless, you don't. I don't even know if the vision was real or not."

"What do you mean?"

"Deucalion said his abilities extend to the ability of creation. If he means what I thought, then he's able to not only give someone a vision but give them a vision of his choosing."

"You mean…he can create false visions?"

I nodded. "Exactly. Which is why I need to talk to Derek alone."

She looked at me suspiciously. "Alone, huh? That'd be awfully convenient for you."

"Please, Cora. Just trust me on this."

She ran a hand through her auburn hair. "…Fine. Fine! I'll clear the others out."

"Thank you." When she looked down at the ground angrily, I took her hands in mine, causing her to raise her eyes to meet mine. "I mean it. Thank you for trusting me."

She shook her head softly and removed her hands from mine. "No need to get all wussy on me." She fixed me with a hard stare. "I'm only giving you twenty minutes."

"That's plenty."

She just rolled her eyes and went to tell the others. I walked past them all on my way into Derek's room and each gave me various words of encouragement, smiles or simple nods.

Derek's breathing was labored but less so than I would've thought. "You talked to Deucalion?"

I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, he told me what he did."

Derek didn't respond so I continued. "It's sweet that you're all broken up about this but there's no need."

"What are you talking about?"

"Deucalion told me that his abilities extend to those of creation. The vision he showed you was false."

"How do you know?"

"I know because I know him. While he normally does tell the truth or some variation of it, this time he's completely lying."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Think about it. What would happen if you killed me? There's a reason he allowed me to run with his pack. If I died…" I trailed off as I realized I was completely wrong.

"What?"

"No, the vision…was right."

"I thought you just said…"

"No, that's exactly the reason that he showed you."

"I'm not following."

"He doesn't want me to die. He has plans for me, plans to absorb my power. If you killed me, he'd lose out on that. That's why he told you. He _knew _that you would react this way. He wants you to give up and allow yourself to succumb to your wounds. If you did, you'd be out of the way and I would live on which would give him the chance in the future to kill me himself…"

My head snapped up and I connected our eyes. "Derek, you need to live. You can't let him win."

"But if I live, you die."

I shook my head. "You don't know that."

"I saw the vision, Lanna! I killed you!"

"There has to be a reason. He kept something out of it on purpose. There's no way you'd just randomly kill me for the hell of it, Derek. Even you're not that stupid."

He snorted. "I'm glad you have such faith in me."

"I'm just joshing you. In all seriousness though, you need to move past this. Tell yourself whatever you need to but you need to let yourself heal. He can't win."

"Shouldn't you be more conflicted than this? I thought he's like a father to you."

"_Was _a father to me. And now, I'm not even sure. You don't travel with someone for four years and suddenly cast them out. Not only that but he tried to kill me."

"Wait, why did he try to kill you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just said that he has plans to kill you later, right? Why did he jeopardize that?"

I shook my head. "He…knew. He knew that Ennis would bring me here and that you would take me to Alan, thereby saving my life." I rubbed my temples, fed up. "Damn him, he's always thinking like ten moves ahead!"

"He's a dangerous enemy," Derek agreed.

"And he can only be truly beaten if _all _of us fight. That means you need to be there too, Derek."

He sighed. "How am I supposed to just forget this, Alannah? I'm going to _kill _you. How are you so calm about that?"

"I know it will be for a good reason. You're a good guy, Derek," I said seriously.

He shrugged lightly. "You're not so bad yourself."

I put a giant smile on my face. "Aw, Dere-Bear! You really mean it?"

He glared at me. "Don't ever call me that again." His face relaxed and he allowed a rare grin to spread. "But yes, I do mean it."

"Thanks, Dere-Bear!"

"What did I just say?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. That was the last time, promise." I stood up from my sitting position. "Now that I know you're gonna move past this, I should go…do stuff."

"Wait, Alannah."

"What's up?"

"I have a condition."

"Oh, this should be good."

"I want you to move out."

I raised my eyebrows. "After we just bonded so nicely? What gives, Derek?"

"Just hear me out, okay? I want to prolong this vision for as long as possible. The more we aren't within a close vicinity of each other, the better I'll feel."

I nodded slowly. "That's fine, I understand."

"And this way, you and Cora will have more alone time."

"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about!" I sputtered.

"I'm not an idiot, Alannah."

I chose not to respond to that statement. "Well, should I send Stiles in?"

It was his turn to stutter. "Wh-what?"

"I'm not an idiot, Derek."

* * *

"Why is he kicking you out?" Cora demanded.

I shut the trunk to the Charger and shook my head. "It was a mutual agreement."

She crossed her arms. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"What?"

"You're the one he's supposed to kill."

I guess there isn't any harm in telling her. "Yeah, it was."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She sounded offended.

"What would that have accomplished?"

"That's not the point. You couldn't trust me enough, was that it?"

"Of course not! Cora, I trust you completely!" I blurted.

"If that's the case, why didn't you tell me? If you trust me so much, why couldn't you say anything?"

"I don't know. It's…complicated."

"Of course it is." She uncrossed her arms and stuck them in her jacket pockets. "Where are you going?"

"The same building," I replied simply.

"Are you out of your mind? Why would you willingly place yourself in the same building as them?"

"I'll be able to keep an eye on them, sort of. Also, because it's one of the only places around that allows pets." Right on cue, Forest gave a short bark from the front seat.

"You're crazy, Alannah Gealach," she muttered.

"You love it."

"You wish," she said quickly.

"I actually do," I quipped back with a wink.

"I don't know how I put up with you."

"Because I'm your best friend." Those words now filled me with a slight pain.

She just shook her head. "Have a safe trip."

"I'm always safe."

"We all know that's a lie." She fell silent, biting her lip.

"There's no need to be sad, Cora. I'm only like ten minutes away. You can come over any time, any of you can."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah…you guys are family now."

She smiled softly. She moved closer to me and sort of swayed on her feet, seemingly indecisive. She made up her mind a couple of moments later because she pulled me to her in a crushing hug. I was caught off guard but my body wasn't. My arms immediately moved up and tightened around her lower back.

She turned her head slightly and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Please just be careful, Ali," she whispered in my ear. And then she was gone, walking away to head back into the building.

She looked back once and smiled at me. She then disappeared through the double doors.

I could feel my skin burning slightly from the feel of her lips on my cheek.

I got into the car and turned on the engine, reaching out to give Forest a quick rub on the head.

There was no point trying to deny it any more.

I…liked Cora.

Guess Derek _wasn't _an idiot.

* * *

"Here's your key, Ms. Gealach! I hope you enjoy your stay here."

I nodded at the receptionist. "Thank you very much. I'm sure I will."

I had wisely called ahead to make sure they had an open apartment on the floor below the penthouse, which is where Deucalion and the others were staying.

I didn't have too much to bring up, just clothes and food. The apartment was fully furnished which was nice. And it wasn't too pricey either.

I took up the clothes and food first, letting Forest run around in the woods nearby while I got to ride the thrilling attraction known as the elevator.

Once I finished, all that was left was the puppy. I whistled once and he came sprinting out of the trees and jumped right into my arms.

"Come on, boy. Let's go see our new home."

Taking the exciting elevator up once again was, of course, the cherry on top of my fantastic day. When it dinged, I stepped out and headed for the room. I shifted Forest to one arm and reached into my pocket to grab the key. As I did, Forest began squirming and dropped out of my grip. "Forest!" I said. Making sure the door was open but only slightly, I took off after him.

When I rounded the corner, I saw Forest sitting down in front of a little boy who was bent over, petting him. The Beagle's tail was going a mile a minute.

"Forest!" Both he and the kid looked up when I called out.

"Is this your doggy?" the boy asked. He couldn't have been more than eight years old.

"Yes, he is. Forest, you know better than to run off to strangers!" I scolded the dog. He whined at me and licked my hand in apology. "Oh, alright. Just try not to do it too often, okay?"

The kid reached out and scratched Forest's ear. "My name's Tommy, what's yours?"

"Nice to meet you, Tommy. I'm Alannah."

"That's a really pretty name."

I chuckled. "Thank you."

"Tommy? Kid, where are you?" A woman's voice called out.

"I'm out here!" he yelled back.

Seconds later, a familiar head of hair appeared. "Michelle?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Alannah! What are you doing here?"

"I just moved in, actually. What a coincidence."

"No kidding…" Her eyes dropped to look at the boy. "Tommy, you know better than to talk to strangers." She glanced at me apologetically. "No offense."

"None taken."

"I'm sorry, Mimi! This doggy came up and started licking my leg. I just wanted to pet him," he said sadly.

She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Just try to be more careful next time. Not every stranger is as nice as Alannah, remember?"

"I know."

"Why don't you head on back inside and help Dad with dinner?"

He brightened. "Okay!" He shot off into the apartment.

Michelle leaned against the doorway. "So, you just moved in?"

"Yeah, with this little guy." Forest barked happily.

She reached out and stroked his fur. "He's a cutie."

"Yeah, I kind of fell in love with him."

"I can see why."

"How long have you lived here?" I asked, changing the subject.

"We've been here for a few years. After Mom died, we kind of needed a new start. Bad memories, you know?"

I nodded. "I totally understand."

"How long are you here for?"

I shrugged. "I don't know yet. I'm planning on sticking around for quite a while, though."

She smiled. "That's good. I'd like to see more of you around."

I grinned back. "I do tend to have that effect on people."

"Yeah, I guess I've fallen under the spell."

"No shame in that. I'm pretty hard to resist."

She laughed. "Well, I should get back to it. Dinner will be ready soon." She pushed off the wall and went to close the door, but stopped. "Unless…would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I would but I already ate. Another time for sure, though."

"It's a date, then. I'll see you around, Alannah." She closed the door.

I headed back down to my room and entered, shutting the door behind me. I let Forest down and he ran off to his food bowl and started eating loudly.

I meandered through the apartment, checking out the master bedroom and the guest room, as well as the bathroom, kitchen, dining room and living room. The apartment came with a flat screen T.V. Maybe tomorrow I'd finally pick up a game console. I sort of missed playing video games with Ennis and Ethan…

I spent the rest of the night reading my book. When the clock hit midnight, I marked my page and closed the novel. Shutting off the light, I turned over and pulled the covers up to my chin.

It was the loneliest I'd felt in a very long time.

* * *

The next morning, I was rudely awakened by the sound of someone knocking extremely loudly on the door.

I pulled back the covers with a yawn, cursing to myself when I saw the time.

Who the hell is waking me up at 10 A.M?

I unlocked the door and pulled the chain off. I opened it to find the faces of Cora and Isaac smiling at me. "Hey, sleepyhead."

"What the fuck are you two doing here so damn early?" I nearly screamed at them.

Isaac frowned. "What are you talking about? It's ten o'clock!"

"Exactly my point! I don't wake up until at least 11:30!" I went to shut the door but Cora stopped me with a hand on the frame and pushed it open all the way. She and Isaac headed past me into the apartment.

"Sure, make yourself at home," I muttered to no one.

"This is a really nice place," Isaac commented.

"Yeah, you know what the nicest part of it is?"

"What's that?"

"The outside of the building. Why don't you two go check it out while I lock the door behind you?" I said with a fake grin.

"You don't need to be an asshole just because you're not a morning person," Cora said.

"That actually gives me every right to be." I opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice, pouring myself a glass.

"Hey, could I have one too?" Isaac said from the couch. He had turned on the T.V. and was currently flipping through the channels.

I went to say something sarcastic but Cora cut me off. "Oh, let me have one too."

"Do I look like a freaking butler?" I growled.

"Stop being a sourpuss," she said as she took the orange juice from me and pulled out two glasses. "You should cheer up."

"And why would I do that?"

"We're going shopping."

"I hope you have a fun time. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, huh?"

She rolled her eyes and took one glass to Isaac, who thanked her. "You're coming with us."

"Again, why would I do that?"

"Because we need you to drive."

"Why don't you have your licenses?" I asked as I raised my glass to my lips.

"We have friends like you to drive us around," Isaac replied, his eyes not leaving the T.V.

"Oh, well aren't I lucky?"

Cora looked at me. "What's the matter with you?"

"I didn't sleep well, alright?"

"Why's that?"

I didn't respond, just raised the glass again. Cora walked closer and placed a hand over mine, lowering the orange juice. "Please talk to me, Ali. You can trust me, remember?"

"…I haven't slept alone in four years."

She smirked at me. "Is that it? Ali, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I don't? I'm eighteen! Adults aren't supposed to be afraid of sleeping alone."

"You're also not a normal adult."

"Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Tell you what. I'll sleep over tonight, okay?"

I smiled gratefully. "Thank you. The guest room is a bit small, though…"

"Who said I was sleeping in the guest room?" she asked.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Did you want the floor, then?"

"You're such an idiot. I mean I'm going to sleep in the master bedroom."

My heart sped up. "Uh, that's where I sleep."

"I'm aware of that. It's not like we haven't shared a bed before." She looked at me seriously. "Unless, you have a problem with that…?"

I shook my head quickly. "Nope, no problem here." Oh, damn it, I was so crushing on her! Could I be any more obvious?

"Good…because I kind of miss you sleeping next to me," she said lowly.

I almost didn't hear her. But, I grinned widely when I did. She glanced up at me and smiled softly. I saw her eyes then drop to my lips. Hmm…

"Hey, guys?" Isaac asked.

She and I broke the connection to find him looking at us confusedly. "Uh, are we gonna get going?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, let me just change." I finished my glass and placed it in the dishwasher. I had to brush past Cora on my way and the feel of our bare skin touching was almost too much for my sanity.

I escaped into my room and shut the door quickly, my breath coming in heavy huffs. What the hell was wrong with me? I'd never, in all of my life, been so affected by one person.

Now that I was in my room, my breathing was slowly returning to normal and I could think clearly again.

I would have to visit Alan later. Maybe he'd have the answers as to why I now desired little more than to, for lack of a more refined way to put it, fuck Cora like an animal in heat.

* * *

**A/N: So…last chapter, the review count was a bit low. Not that I'm a review whore or anything, but I like hearing from you guys. It makes me day a little bit brighter, yanno? Especially because I'm still sick…and yes, I'm using my sickness shamelessly to try to get you guys to review. I will not deny it :D**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	8. Sleepover

**Author's Note: So…that last chapter, though…things are starting to heat up, in more ways than one ;D**

**And, before I forget…**

**Guest (da first one): Thanks for the well wishes. I am feeling better, which is real nice. I shall indeed keep up the good work, evident by this update ;)**

**Guest: Oh, yes, Cora and Alannah **_**will **_**fuck like animals in heat. In due time, my friend, in due time.**

**Guest (da last one): Thanks for loving my fic, she loves ya too.**

**Alizet: I is feeling better :D Thanks a ton for the praise and the reviews and here's the update ;D**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Sleepover**

* * *

"Stop frowning, Alannah, you'll get wrinkles."

I huffed. "Don't tell me what to do."

"What crawled up your ass and died?"

"My apologies, let me just plaster a giant grin on my face even though I'm furious about the fact that I had to drive you two all over the fucking place."

She glared at me. "Stop being an asshole."

"I'm allowed to be. You guys took advantage of me today."

"I'm sorry, alright? We didn't mean to run you ragged."

"You're not sorry."

She shrugged. "You're right, I'm not. Besides, you got stuff too. A PS3, an Xbox 360, a Blu-ray player, a new laptop, nine new books, a Kindle Fire, twenty-six new video games, thirty-three new DVDs and a guitar."

"What, were you keeping tabs on me?"

"No, I just read off your receipts." She peered closer at the pieces of paper. Doing the mental math quickly, she shook her head. "I still can't believe you spent a couple thousand dollars in one run."

"Well, I was a little ticked about the two freeloaders freeloading off of me. Call it emotional shopping, if you will."

"We weren't freeloading off of you! I was actually trying to help."

"Help what, yourself?"

"No, help you!" she replied hotly. "You just found out that my brother is supposed to _kill _you. I still don't understand how you can be so calm about it, but I figured it was just a coping mechanism. I planned this day out together to try and take your mind off of everything. Did you notice how nearly every shop we went to was something that you liked? Video game stores, book stores, electronic stores and the music store. You didn't honestly think I liked all of that stuff?"

I smiled. "I was a bit skeptical on the video game and music stores, yeah."

"Well, that's because I knew it was stuff that you enjoyed."

"Thank you, Cora," I said sincerely.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Last time I try and do anything nice for you…"

The elevator dinged and we stepped out. A small blur of brown hair collided with me and the child fell back onto the ground with a loud, "Ow!"

I reached out a hand and helped him up. "Sorry, Tommy. I didn't see you there."

He pouted up at me. "That hurt, Alannah."

"You should watch where you're going next time otherwise you could get seriously hurt."

"I'm playing hide-and-seek with AJ and Mimi. I was trying to get downstairs before she counted to ten. I don't know where AJ went, though."

On cue, the young woman in question rounded the corner. "I gotcha, Tommy!" She paused and grinned when she spotted me. "Alannah, what a pleasant surprise."

"Hey, Michelle." I tousled Tommy's hair. "This little one ran into me on my way out of the elevator. You'd better go make sure he doesn't have a broken bone."

"I don't have a broken bone!" he cried. "I'm a big kid, I didn't even feel it!"

"Oh, but I thought you said it hurt?"

He had nothing to say to that so his frown just grew deeper.

"Well, come on, Tommy. It's time for dinner."

"Can't we play a little bit longer?"

"No, we have to eat now."

He lowered his eyes to the ground. "Aw…"

"Tell you what," I cut in. "How about, after dinner, we play with you too?" I jerked a thumb toward Cora. She had been silent during the exchange so far but now fixed me with a glare that said, 'No way in hell.'

Michelle hooked a lock of ear behind her ear. "Who's this? A friend of yours?"

"Yeah, this is Cora. Cora, this is Michelle. Her dad was the one who sold me the Charger and she took me for a test drive."

Michelle stuck a hand out and Cora took it quickly, shaking it strongly. "Nice to meet you," she said with a smile.

"Likewise," Michelle matched the smile with one of her own.

"So, anyway, thanks for offering to play with them afterward, but I won't be able to because I have homework."

"What college do you attend?"

"Why do you assume I'm in college?"

"Well, you said you're twenty, right? Don't most twenty year olds in school attend a college?"

"Who's to say I'm not a super senior in high school?" She placed her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't make assumptions like that, Alannah, it could be potentially hurtful."

"I didn't mean anything by it. There's no shame in being a super senior…" I tried to hastily backtrack.

She laughed. "I'm just fucking with you. I'm attending the local community college for now. I still don't know what I want to do with my life."

"You've got time. At least you aren't in your thirties or something."

"True. If I was at that point, I really don't know what I'd do."

"So, are we not allowed to play with them if you aren't around?"

She shook her head. "Yeah, sorry. It's not that I don't really trust you, it's just that I don't really trust you."

"You sure don't beat around the bush, that's good."

"When it comes to my little brother, not a chance."

"Alright. Another day, then?"

"Yeah, and we can do that dinner date too."

"For sure. I'll see you around, Michelle."

"Have a good night, Alannah." She nodded at Cora. "It was nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too."

"Goodnight, Ali!" Tommy called over his shoulder as they walked away.

"Night, Tommy. Be good for your dad and sister, okay?"

"Okay!"

Cora and I headed for my room. Once we were inside, I addressed her. "You gave me a death glare. What was up with that?"

"I don't like being volunteered for things. Especially not to play a childish game with a kid I don't actually know."

"You have a fair point."

"Should I head back down and get some of the stuff?"

"Nah, I'll do it. Would you mind cooking dinner?"

"Of course not. What are you in the mood for?"

I shrugged. "Surprise me."

"You're not an easy, nor a good, person to surprise."

"I promise that whatever you cook, I'll eat it with a smile."

She chuckled. "You may come to regret that promise."

* * *

An hour later, I had all the packages up in my room and the game consoles, along with the Blu-Ray player, set up and ready to use.

"Alannah, dinner's ready!" Cora called from the kitchen without turning from the stove.

I snorted. "You know I'm right here, right? No need to yell."

"My bad. I'm used to the kitchen being downstairs."

"It's cool, I'll just have to make an appointment with the doctor to see what he can do about my busted eardrums," I joked.

She threw a towel at me that landed on my head. "Asshole."

"You love it."

"Again, you wish."

"And again, I actually do."

"You gonna eat this food or should I just dump it down your shirt?"

"And waste all that time and energy? Even I would feel bad."

"Your sympathy is touching." She placed the food on a plate and put it in front of me. "Eat up. And remember, no complaints."

My eyes widened ever so slightly as I stared down at the mass assortment of pasta noodles, meat and sauce. "Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite."

"I had a feeling. That's why I made it."

"What do you mean?"

"It was your favorite when we were little. It always made me wonder how you kept so in shape with all the carbs you ate."

"I did play soccer. Even at that age, the clubs used to run us ragged."

"I know. Best friend, remember?"

"Right, right." Man, those words were really starting to hurt. I picked up my utensils and got ready to dig in but paused. "Wait, why did you give me so much?"

"What are you talking about? That's a serving size."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, maybe for an elephant."

"With your appetite, you could eat your portion, the elephant's portion and then the elephant."

"You calling me fat, Hale?"

"No, but if you saw how much you ate, you wouldn't disagree."

"I've seen how much I eat, it isn't that much!"

"You don't see it but the rest of us do." She sighed lightly. "Just shut up and eat the damn food, Ali."

"Always trying to boss me around…this how you get your kicks?"

"Most of them." She turned back to the stove and began wiping it down.

"You don't have to do that," I said through a large forkful of spaghetti. "I can take care of it later."

"No, that's alright. Just eat your food."

Not ten minutes later, I dropped my fork and spoon down with a satisfied sigh. "Man, that was amazing! I didn't know you were such an awesome cook, Cora."

She shrugged. "Living on your own for six years, you pick up a few things."

"Well, I sure am glad you did." I got up and went to pick up my plate but Cora got to it first, gently easing me down into the chair with her other hand. "No worries, I got this."

As she started washing my dish, I raised my eyebrows. "Why are you being so nice?"

"You act as if I'm a complete bitch all the time."

"No, not all the time." She threw another towel at me. I chuckled as I pulled it off and tossed it on the island. "But seriously, you're being very…like a girlfriend."

"Are you so appalled to the idea of me as a girlfriend?" she teased.

"No, not at all. In fact, I think you'd make a great girlfriend." I seriously needed to shut up, now. "But…what's up?"

"I feel bad that Isaac and I had you driving all over the place today, so I'm trying to make it up to you."

"Well, thanks. That means a lot."

"Just don't get used to it." She finished with the dishes and wiped her hands on the towel. "It's only seven o'clock, really? I thought it was way later."

I nodded toward the T.V. "Wanna play some video games with me?"

"Oh no, I'm good. I think I'll just go read for a while in the room. Have fun." She closed the door to my room. Or, _our_ room for tonight.

"Who am I supposed to play with?" I said to myself sadly.

Suddenly, a bright idea popped into my head and I rushed to my phone, almost breaking it in two in my haste to dial.

Two rings passed before he answered. _"Hey, Ali. What's up?"_

"Isaac Lahey, how much do you love video games?"

* * *

I could sympathize with Cora (very slightly) when she walked out of the room two hours later to find a whole room full of people.

I had initially planned on only inviting Isaac over, but he had insisted on inviting Boyd and Scott as well, and Scott had insisted on inviting Allison and Stiles, who had insisted on inviting Lydia.

Only Isaac, Scott, Stiles and I were currently playing. We were in the middle of an extremely intense online multiplayer deathmatch for Halo 3.

"That stupid punk!" I cursed as I got sniped for the third time. "I swear, that asshole has been camping out for the last five minutes! Someone needs to take him down!"

Boyd scoffed lightly. "You know where he's at. Stop going in that direction."

I went to respond but saw Cora out of the corner of my eye. "Hey, Cora. You finished reading?"

"Yeah…when did everyone get here?"

I glanced at my watch. "I dunno, 'bout an hour ago? Didn't you hear them come in?"

"I had my earphones in."

"Yeah, they're actually all sleeping over too. Is that cool?"

She smiled. "It's your apartment, Ali. You get to decide who stays."

"Oh, yeah."

"Duh, Ali," Isaac mocked me without pulling his eyes from the T.V. screen.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Screw teams, I needed to teach him a lesson!

"No, what the hell!" He groaned when his character took an energy sword to the face. He rounded on me. "Ali, we're on the same team!"

"Serves you right for mocking me."

"Really? It was a joke!"

"Keep your pants on, Isaac. It's just a game."

"Still…"

Scott put down his controller and flexed his fingers. "I'm kind of tired of it, actually. You think we could watch a movie instead?"

I nodded. "Of course. I think I have the perfect one in mind." I opened the cabinet that now contained my new DVDs and pulled one out, showing the cover to everyone.

"_An American Werewolf in London_?" Stiles read. He quickly glanced at Lydia. "That's actually probably not the best idea…"

"It's fine, Stiles. I'm over Jackson, remember?"

"Who's Jackson?" I asked.

"My ex-boyfriend. Derek bit him last year but he ended up turning into the Kamina instead."

"What is a Kanima?"

"A homicidal lizard thing that is used by its master as a creature of vengeance," Stiles helpfully provided.

"Why did he turn into that instead of a wolf?"

"He was an orphan, so he lacked an identity. He could be saved by someone that he shared a true bond with, which was me."

"That's good. You saved him."

"Yes, and he finally turned into a werewolf. Then, his dad moved him to London. I haven't seen him or talked to him since."

"Oh, uh…I'm really sorry." I tapped the cover of the DVD. "We can watch something else…"

"No, I actually love this movie. Classic horror film."

I smiled. "You're a horror fan?"

"Always have been."

"You know, Lydia, you're alright."

She rolled her eyes. "Because your opinion matters so much to me, Alannah."

"I'm glad to hear that." I looked back at Cora. "You'll be joining us, right?"

"Hmm…why not? I do love a good horror movie."

"Awesome! Now, everybody get comfy." Scott sat on the floor next to Allison and Lydia, considerably closer to the brunette than the redhead, and Boyd took the armchair. Stiles planted himself next to his best friend and Isaac took one side of the couch. Cora came around and sat down in the middle of it and after I finished putting in the movie and turning off the lights, I sat down next to her at the other end and pulled the lever that reclined the seat. Isaac noticed and did the same.

"Hey, can mine do that?" Cora wondered.

"Nope, only the end seats can."

"That's not fair!" She turned to Isaac. "Isaac, switch seats with me."

"No. You should've taken the other end before Ali sat down."

She spun toward me. "Ali, switch seats with me."

"No way in hell."

She leaned back as far as she could and crossed her arms. "You guys suck."

"Shut up, it's starting," Stiles said.

About a quarter of the way through the movie, I became acutely aware of Cora's hand touching mine. Her knee was also leaning against mine and her elbow was practically resting on my side.

At the halfway mark, she shifted slightly and leaned her back against my side, her feet propping up on Isaac's lap. He rolled his eyes at her but didn't shove them off. He could be such a softie sometimes, it was adorable.

"Is this okay?" she whispered.

I was trying my best not to focus on the arm she had draped over my bent knee or the smell of the shampoo that was emanating from her hair, conveniently located very few inches from my nose.

"Ali, hello?"

I snapped out my daydreams. "Yeah, this is fine."

"Cool." We went back to watching the movie but now my focus was definitely divided in two.

Three quarters of the way through found my arm somehow making its way to settle around Cora's stomach and her own free arm resting on top of it. She even went as far as to intertwine her fingers with mine.

Damn it, I don't think she realized the effect she was having on me.

When there were only ten minutes left, I took stock of everyone else. Stiles had drifted off to sleep, his head resting on Scott's broad shoulder and his mouth hanging open. Seriously, it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Allison had also fallen asleep with her head in Lydia's lap. Lydia had been running her hands through Allison's hair for a good portion of the film.

Boyd was still awake, his eyes glued to the screen. He had mentioned something about this being the first time he'd seen this movie. Isaac was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Cora had conked out indefinitely. She had snuggled tightly into my arm. Her chin was pressed up against my bicep and I truly wondered how she didn't choke to death.

Once the film finished, everyone returned to varying states of consciousness. Everyone except Cora, of course.

They began shifting themselves around to make more room and to stay comfortable. "Anyone want the guest room?" I asked.

"I'll take it," Boyd said.

"Sure thing, dude. The bed is all made up for you and everything."

He nodded his thanks, bid the others goodnight, and went into the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Isaac gently pried Cora's feet off of his lap and stood up, stretching and yawning widely. "Is she gonna sleep in here?"

"Uh, she wanted to sleep in the master bedroom." I felt no need to add that I would also be in the room but he understood and asked no questions.

I felt that something important needed to be said. "Before I get her to bed, I just want to say something."

"What's up, Alannah?" Scott asked.

"I just wanted to say thanks for tonight. It meant a lot that everyone was willing to come over and hang as well as spend the night." I ran a hand through my hair. This nervous habit I had developed was kind of annoying. "I know you guys are reluctant to trust me because I was part of the Alpha pack, but I just want you all to know that I'm grateful for allowing me to be," I hesitated a bit before finishing, "friends with you guys."

Scott grinned. "You don't need to thank us for that. You've proven that we can trust you."

"Yeah, Lanna," Stiles agreed. "You risked your life to help Derek. An enemy wouldn't do that. A friend would."

Isaac punched me in the shoulder softly. "I didn't know you were such a wimp."

"Watch it, Lahey. I am an Alpha and as such, can kick your ass."

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots."

I shook my head before turning to Allison and Lydia. "And even though we don't know each other all that well, I look forward to getting to that point someday soon."

Allison smiled and nodded while Lydia regarded me coolly. "I don't know, Alannah. You may not be cool enough to hang with me."

"Yeah, yeah, hide behind your sarcasm if you must, but I know you feel the same."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Isaac yawned again. "This is nice bonding time and all but do you think we could continue this discussion another time? I'm really tired and would like to get to sleep."

"Sure thing. Good night, guys." I knelt down and gently picked Cora up, tucking her in my arms protectively.

The others responded in kind and Isaac nodded down at Cora before sending me a suggestive wink. I rolled my eyes and carried her into the bedroom, closing the door with my foot.

I placed her under the covers and pulled them over her before stripping to my underwear and getting in on the other side.

"…Ali?" Cora's voice was hoarse with sleep.

"Yeah?"

"Is the movie over?"

"Yeah, just get to sleep."

She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. "How did I get in here?" She glanced down at me. "Did you carry me?"

"Yeah, it was no problem."

She smiled softly. "Thank you." She lay back down and grabbed my arm before rolling over, forcing my front to press flush against her back. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. "You're really comfortable."

Seriously, my hormones were about to rage out of control. "You're welcome?"

"I mean it. There's just something about sleeping in your arms that comforts me," she confessed. "You make me feel safe."

I chuckled into her hair. "That's funny."

"Why?"

"I haven't been able to protect anyone in my life," I admitted honestly. "My parents were killed, Ennis was killed…I'm no protector, Cora."

"None of that matters to me. We still don't know what happened to your parents and Ennis chose his fate. You can't keep blaming yourself for that."

"Yeah, blame Deucalion, I got it. I haven't convinced myself yet."

"Then allow me." She shifted in my arms and faced me a second time, pulling me in for another tight hug that I responded to instantly.

"Your parents and Ennis were not your fault," she murmured.

"You're not being very compelling," I joked weakly. I was going to kill my body. And my mind. I _really _needed to call Alan tomorrow.

"Well, I tried." She rolled back over. "One day you'll realize I was right."

"Because you're always right?"

"Exactly."

"I await that day with bated breath. In the meantime…goodnight, Cora." I pressed a light kiss into her hair, hating the fact that we were so close and at the same time desiring to be even closer.

I felt her nod under my chin. "Goodnight, Ali."

* * *

**A/N: This was nothing but fluff ;D I'm sorry but I needed to get it out, it's been on my mind for a few days, amongst other things, such as...that raunchy saucy 'stuff' that shall happen between Cora and Alannah. It shall be soon, because even I'm getting tired of waiting :D**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	9. Long Overdue

**Author's Note: *claps hands and rubs them together* This will be the longest chapter to date. There will be lots of emotion, a bit of angst ( :D ) and the epic finale: SMEX. Not graphic, of course. This is a rated T story after all. But, there will be as much description as I can give without getting **_**too **_**descriptive. *in epic robotic voice* PREPARE YOURSELVES.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Long Overdue**

* * *

I was rudely awakened, at six A.M. no less, by the vibrating of my phone. It wasn't loud but my supersonic hearing easily picked up the sound and interrupted my blissful state of sleep.

I highly considered ignoring it. I was extremely comfortable and didn't feel like moving away. During the night, Cora and I had switched positions, in a sense. I was snuggled up to her side with an arm draped across her stomach.

Usually, I was always the 'big spoon' but with Cora, I didn't mind. Not even a little bit.

The vibrating finally stopped and I sighed happily. It then started back up.

"Ugh," I groaned quietly. I gently took my arm back and slid out of the bed. I picked up the phone from the dresser and checked the caller I.D. Frowning, I answered the call.

"Hey, Alan."

"Good morning, Alannah." His voice, while kind, sounded rushed.

"Not to be rude because you're my favorite godfather, but why are you calling me so early?"

"I wish I wouldn't have to burden you with this but…I'm going to be taken. I'll need you to find me."

"What are you talking about, taken where?"

"I don't have a lot of time. The Alphas are going to be here soon."

"What? No, why?! What do they want from you?"

"Not from me but from you. This is the first step in Deucalion's plan."

"What plan? Please, talk to me!"

"I'm sorry, Ali. I don't have time to explain anymore. I'm sorry." The call went dead.

"No, Alan! Alan!" I shouted into the phone.

"Wha-what's going on?" Cora asked sleepily.

I put my head in my hands. "It was Alan…he said they're going to take him."

She sat up quickly. "What? Who?"

"The Alphas."

There was a knock on the door and Scott came in, flanked by the others. "What's going on? We heard shouting."

I stood up quickly and punched the wall in anger. "The Alphas are going to kidnap Alan! I need to save him!"

"Why are they going to take him?"

"He said…he said it was because of me." I lowered my head. "I don't know what to do…"

Cora got out of bed and placed a consoling hand on my shoulder. "We'll help you, Ali. We'll find him."

"Damn right we will," I growled. Making a split second decision, I pushed away from the wall, brushing past the others on my way to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Isaac asked.

I turned back around, feeling my canines slide past my lips. "I'm going to pay Deucalion a visit."

"Are you crazy? He'll kill you!"

"No, he won't, weren't you fucking listening?" I snarled. "They're kidnapping him to get to me."

Isaac walked up to me and took my arm. "I won't let you go, you'll get yourself killed."

I shoved him back into the counter. "Stay out of my way!"

Scott moved forward. "Lanna, you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down. They're going after the only family I have left. You expect me to just sit around?"

I pulled the door open forcefully and bypassed the elevator, instead sprinting up the two flights of stairs.

When I reached the penthouse, I pounded on the door. "Deucalion! Deucalion, open the fucking door!"

Either no one was home or they were ignoring me. Fuck that.

I kicked the door in, the wooden frame splintering pathetically. I found Deucalion sitting calmly at the table. "That wasn't very kind, Ali."

I slammed my fists on the table and it cracked in half. "Where is he?" I yelled.

"I can't say I know what you're talking about," he replied.

I pushed the broken table aside and grabbed him by the collar of his sweater. "Tell me where he is!" I roared.

He shook his head, unperturbed by the vice grip I had on him. "Where would be the fun in that, Ali?"

"You fucking blind bastard-!"

He shoved a palm into my chin and shoved me backward into a wall. I winced when I felt my broken jaw start the healing process.

He advanced on me menacingly and placed a foot on my sternum, pressing down. I coughed and tried to cry out but my breath caught.

"You forget your place, Ali," he snarled. "You can't honestly expect me to just tell you the plan. Even you aren't that idiotic."

"What do you want from me?" I choked out.

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, just play the game." He removed his foot and left the room.

I rolled over and pounded my fists on the floor. "Damn it!"

"Ali!" Cora ran into the room, flanked by Isaac and the others. "What happened?" She stuck out a hand and helped me up from the ground.

"He didn't tell me. He admitted that he did it but he won't tell me where he took him." I sighed and shook my head. "He told me to just 'play the game'."

"What game?" Scott asked.

"I don't know. But he will pay for this. He can count on that."

* * *

The others, after offering condolences and pledging to help, headed off to school. Cora and I returned to my apartment where she started cooking breakfast for us.

I lay out on the couch and stared at the ceiling, dozens of questions running through my head. Why did they take him? Where did they take him? What did they want from me? How was I supposed to find him? What if I was too late to save him? What if he…died?

"Ali?"

"What?" I snapped.

"Breakfast is ready. And for the record, keep that anger directed at Deucalion, okay? None of this is my fault."

"Whatever." I got up and sat on the stool, digging into the omelette with fervor. I wolfed it down in four bites.

"You could at least say thanks."

I dropped the fork and glared at her. "Are you really doing this right now? Alan was just kidnapped because of me! How can you be acting so petty?"

"Petty?! I'm sorry, but I did just cook you breakfast! The least you could do is be grateful!" she replied hotly.

"I don't care about that right now! I need to find him and if you aren't going to help-!"

"How can you even say that?" she snarled. "Of course I'm going to help!"

"What you're doing right now is far from it!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why is it that every time I try to help you, you jump down my fucking throat?"

"There you go again, acting all petty! What's wrong with me, what's wrong with _you?_" I took the plate and threw it against the wall, a feeling of satisfaction rushing through me when it shattered.

Cora shook her head. "I understand that you're angry, but there's no reason for you to turn it on me!"

I rounded on her. "You understand? No, no you don't fucking understand! The last real family I have left was just kidnapped by the strongest enemies we've ever faced! You have no idea what that feels like!"

"I don't?! My brother almost _died _because of them!" she screamed at me. "You're scared and you're worried, I get it! How do you think I felt when I watched Derek fall?"

"I…just forget it." I stood up from the stool. "Where should we look?"

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. We should wait until the others get home from school."

"Are you kidding? How am I supposed to wait that long?"

"Do you have a better idea? Instead of wasting time running all over town with no clue where to start, we should figure out a plan with all of us to contribute."

I growled lowly. "I can't wait. Ethan and Aiden are at the high school. I'll go talk to them."

"You plan on just walking through the front doors and interrupting their class?"

"If I have to, yeah. I'm done fucking around. They're threatening family so I'm not playing by the rules anymore."

"Ali, you need to stop and think about this."

"Why are you so set on getting in my way?" I snarled.

"You won't be able to show up and ask them anything without revealing what you really are to the entire school."

"What makes you so sure?"

She handed me a spoon. "Look at your reflection."

My hair was wild, both from sleep and from my encounter with Deucalion. My eyes were glowing an angry red and my canines were in clear view.

"If you can't even talk to me without this happening, how can you expect to talk to them without freaking out and attacking?"

"Alright, alright! We'll wait to they finish with school. But not a second later."

* * *

"Deucalion was at the school today," Scott said as he walked in to Derek's loft. We'd decided on his place instead of mine to spare any more dishes from an early grave.

"What? What did he say?"

"He asked me to give you a message. He said to let the currents guide you."

"Let the currents guide me? What the hell does that mean?" I nearly screamed.

He shook his head quickly. "I don't know, Lanna. That doesn't mean anything to you?"

"He loves to speak in riddles. This means something more than what it seems." I started pacing quickly. "Currents, currents…if we look surface deep, it sounds like motivational mumbo jumbo…but if we dig deeper…could he be talking about actual currents?"

Stiles snapped his fingers. "That would make sense, actually. I think Danny did a research project on currents."

"Do you think we could get the info from him?"

"Yeah, I could ask him tomorrow at school."

"Tomorrow isn't good enough, Stiles! I need to know now!" I snapped.

He held up his hands. "Alright, alright! I'll text him now." He made a show of pulling out his phone and sending the text message. "Now we wait."

I nodded slowly. "Good."

The intruder alarm suddenly went off and we all rushed toward the door. Derek pressed the button to turn it off and frowned confusedly. I guess it was a false alarm?

My eyes then alighted on Derek's window. "Derek, what is that?" It looked like an Alpha symbol painted in black. I moved closer to it. "Shit…" I turned back to him. "You know what this means, don't you?"

He nodded. "It means they're coming. Tonight."

I shook my head. "Damn it. This was part of the plan. But what do they want?"

"I don't know. But I have a feeling we'll find out."

Stiles jumped up from his seat. "Danny texted back! He said I could come by and pick up the project."

"What are you waiting for, then, an invitation?"

"Geez…I'm going, I'm going." He grabbed his keys and headed out the door, Scott in his wake. Boyd and Isaac also left, leaving just me, Derek, and Cora.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We wait," Derek replied with a shrug. "There isn't anything we can do without a plan."

I flopped onto the couch. "I hate just waiting around."

Cora sat next to me and placed her head on my shoulder. "We're going to find him, Ali."

"I know but I just feel so useless."

I heard a scratching at the door and smiled to myself. "Do you guys hear that?"

Both of them frowned slightly. "Yeah, what is that?" Cora asked.

I went to the front door and opened it. A small tricolored blur ran into the room and began jumping at Derek, barking loudly.

Cora looked at me. "Forest? What is he doing here?"

"I usually let him run around during the day in the woods by the building. He must have followed me here."

Derek was deliberately not looking down at the puppy and Forest sat on his haunches and whined.

"Give him a pet, Derek. Come on."

"Why should I?"

"Because he likes you and if you don't, he'll get mad."

He scoffed at me. "I'm an Alpha. What can a dog do to me?"

"You'd be surprised. That tongue of his is a dastardly devil."

"Fine, but only because I hate being licked." He picked up the dog and cradled him to his chest, scratching his ears lightly. Forest licked his hand once and closed his eyes contentedly.

Derek looked up to find both Cora and I watching them fondly. "What?"

"You just look very cute. For someone who hates being licked, you're letting him do it quite a bit," I pointed out.

He scowled and held the dog out to me. "Take him."

"Are you sure? He seemed very comfortable with you and you with him."

"Take him, Ali, or so help me…"

"Keep your pants on." I took Forest back and held him up. He licked my nose and barked.

The large front door was pulled open and Stiles and Scott rushed through. "We've got Danny's assignment!"

"Good, put it down on the table," Derek ordered.

We all surrounded the table as the two best friends pulled out the papers. "This map details all of the currents that run through the town," Stiles explained. "Now, the funny thing about Beacon Hills is that it's an actual beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this place."

"So, how does that help us?" Derek asked.

"Deucalion said to let the currents guide us, right?" I peered at the map. "I would think that means that wherever they took Alan has to do with the currents that run through Beacon Hills."

Stiles picked up a pen and circled the veterinarian clinic. "This is where he was taken from."

"That's right on top of a current," I commented.

"So, maybe where they took him is on a current as well?" Scott ventured.

"That makes sense but there are a ton of places that are right on top of a current. How are we supposed to narrow it down?" Derek replied.

"They wouldn't put him just anywhere. They want us to find him," I said. "It would be somewhere that we would know…"

Stiles moved the pen over the map, tracing different currents. Cora's hand suddenly covered his. "Stop," she said softly.

A light twinge of jealousy ran through me but I shook it off. Now wasn't the time.

She moved their hands toward another current. "He's in the vault. The same vault."

"I'll go," I said.

Scott held out a hand to grip my arm. "No, I'll do it."

"Scott, I won't-."

"Please," he said lowly. "He's been like a father to me too."

I heard the pure sincerity in his voice and nodded slowly. "Okay," I said with a smile. "You sure you want to go alone?"

"Yeah, this way you can stay here and help Derek with the Alphas."

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Scott."

"You don't need to thank me." He ran out the door and was gone.

I watched the door for a few moments, somehow knowing that because of Scott, Alan was going to be okay.

"So, do we have a plan for when they get here?" Cora asked.

The door opened again and Isaac and Boyd came in.

"Where were you two?" I asked.

"Boyd came up with a plan to protect you, Derek," Isaac answered.

He got up from his seat on the staircase and began descending the stairs. "You're going to protect me? Then I really am in trouble."

Isaac frowned at him. "It's a good plan, actually. Boyd, want to explain?"

Boyd nodded and dropped the duffel bag he had on his shoulder on the floor. "I was thinking back to when Gerard had Erica and I chained up and attached to those wires that were running electric currents into our bodies." He opened the bag and pulled out a large roll of cables. "We should do the same thing but on a bigger scale."

"What are we supposed to do, chain them up?" I asked.

Boyd shook his head. "No. We cover the area with water and stick these wires in it."

"Won't that shock all of us?"

"We'll only cover a few inches. We'll just have to stay off the floor."

"How are we supposed to keep the electric current running in just this room?" Stiles asked.

"If we disable the circuit interrupter in the electric room, it'll keep coming. Any person who steps in here will get a nasty shock," he said with a small smile.

"Especially someone who's barefooted," Isaac added.

Boyd walked over to the wall and turned on the spigot, water starting to pour out from the hose attached. He tossed it on the ground and allowed the liquid to begin pooling. "Now we wait."

* * *

The water was now a few inches high. Boyd turned the spigot off and tossed one of the wires in. Electricity danced across the surface. "Perfect." He sat back down.

A few more minutes passed in silence, each person lost in their own thoughts. I had sent Forest back into the woods. I didn't want him getting caught up in any of this.

Isaac looked up suddenly and pointed at the intruder alarm. "Hey, isn't the light on that supposed to be on?"

Derek followed his eyes. "Yeah, it is."

"What is mean if it's not?"

"Someone cut the auxiliary power," he explained.

"What about the-?" Boyd started but the lights then cut off.

Derek slowly moved around Isaac and Boyd and stepped into the water. Nothing happened.

"What do we do now?" Isaac asked.

Derek looked up, his eyes glowing. "We fight."

"How the hell did they know?" I cursed.

There was no time for anyone to respond because loud bangs started coming from behind the door that led into the loft. It slowly began to pull open, revealing Kali standing in an aggressive stance.

She began descending the stairs slowly. "You know, I have to say, I've been looking forward to this for a long time, Derek." She looked at me quickly. "And you too, Alannah."

I bared my teeth at her. "Fuck off."

She clicked her tongue. "You should watch that attitude, _Ali_." She turned around and Ethan and Aiden walked in. Ethan had Scott by the chest while Aiden held a clawed hand to Alan's throat.

I started forward but she held up a hand and Aiden's grip on Alan tightened. "Ah, ah, ah," she scolded. "One wrong move and he dies. I'd hate to be responsible for killing another member of your family."

I stepped back. "What do you mean, 'another member'?"

"It seems I've said too much." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well. Seeing as you won't be living past today, I guess there isn't any harm in telling you." She walked forward a few more steps. "Your parents? I killed them. Well, one. Deucalion had to take on your father. I wasn't strong enough to beat him."

I sank to my knees, my eyes widening. "Wh-what? How did you-? Why did you…?"

She laughed. "Why? I take it the vet hasn't told you either, then." She crouched next to me and lifted my head with a clawed hand. "You have a power, Alannah. A power that Deucalion wants. Your father had it before you. Unfortunately, he took his own life before Duke had a chance to steal it. It passed to you with his death."

I put my head in my hands, tears welling up unbidden. "How could you?"

"You sound so surprised. Honestly, I don't understand how you could be so naïve. Everyone wants power, Alannah. It's how the world works."

I raised my head to meet her eyes, which had grown crimson. "I'm not naïve," I whispered.

She cocked an eyebrow. "You don't think so?"

I shook my head slowly, a smile growing on my face. "No. Somehow, I knew. When he nearly killed me all those weeks ago, a part of me started putting the pieces together. I had all the information. It was right in front of my face." I stood up, grinning. "I just didn't want to believe it."

She backed up. "What are you smiling about?"

"I don't know, to be honest. Maybe just knowing, now…it's almost…freeing." I leveled my gaze at her. "Because now, I know there's no turning back. There's no retribution for you, Kali. Or Deucalion. You two took my parents from me. And for what? Some power that I still don't know about. I can finally stop trying to make excuses for you."

She snarled at me. "Don't be so self-righteous. You act as if you can beat me."

I growled. "Can't I? You want this power that I have. Clearly, it's one that surpasses your own."

"You don't even know what it is."

I closed my eyes. "I don't need to." Opening them again, I stared down into the water. I could just make out the new color of my eyes.

They were glowing bright silver. Like the moon shining down into the room.

Kali looked almost…scared? I grinned wider when I heard her heartbeat quicken. "What's the matter, Kali?" I asked mockingly. "Sounds like you're scared."

She gnashed her teeth. "You don't frighten me, you stupid child!" She leaped at me and swiped a claw but I sidestepped her easily and caught her in the jaw, sending her careening into the floor. Even without this newfound power, I had always been the fastest out of all of us.

She growled and reset her jaw before coming at me again. This time, she was able to slash me in the face with one of her feet. I shook the blood out of my eyes and crouched down to avoid the second foot.

She leapt up onto a pipe and swung out again. I ducked and grabbed her arm. I heaved her over my head easily and pinned her to the ground with my body.

She looked up into my eyes and for the first time in my life, I saw real fear in her gaze. It filled me with a euphoria I could never have anticipated.

I swiped down once and ripped through her shirt, opening a laceration on her stomach. The smell of her blood hit my nose and I let out a deep breath in satisfaction. The bloodlust taking over my body was overpowering but I couldn't do anything to stop it.

I didn't really want to anyway.

I swiped again. And again. And again. And again. Stray droplets were landing on my face and my arms and each one added to the high I was getting from her fear and her pain.

"Ali!"

Alan's shout pulled me from my daze. I looked up at him angrily. He returned the gaze without a hint of fear. "You need to stop," he said forcefully.

"Why should I?" I snarled.

He shook his head and glanced at Kali. "Look at her."

I followed his gaze and sucked in a breath.

Her body was covered in blood and cuts. Her breathing was labored and her eyes were shut tightly in pain. Blood was pouring freely from her torso and from my claws.

I got off of her quickly and shook my head quickly, trying to rid myself of the voice telling me to finish her. "What have I done?" I whispered. I turned on my heel and launched myself out of the window. I landed in a crouch and winced as I felt all of the pieces of glass that had embedded themselves in my skin. It was something of a wake-up call for me.

I didn't stop running until I reached the door to my apartment. Forest must have sensed something because he had come hightailing out of the trees to join me about halfway.

I collapsed on the couch and put a hand over my eyes. Forest whined at me and hopped onto the couch, nestling into my side. I scratched his head absently. "What happened, Forest?" I asked the dog. "I just lost control. I've never wanted to kill anything, or anyone, as much as I did in that moment. If Alan hadn't called out to me, I would've done it. I would've killed her."

He barked softly and placed his head on my hip. I patted his head but looked away when I spotted the blood that coated my fingers. It was honestly making me a little bit sick to my stomach.

A few minutes later, I decided to just wash it off. I headed into the bathroom and took in my appearance. I had blood running down my face. I couldn't tell how much of it was mine and how much of it was Kali's. I turned on the faucet and washed my hands first, then my face. I pulled off my clothing and set to work removing the shards of glass in my skin.

After completing the task, I tossed the clothes into the hamper and put on a fresh tank and a pair of jogging shorts.

It wasn't very late but I had no idea how to pass the time until I wanted to head to bed. I honestly didn't even know if I'd be able to fall asleep tonight.

A knock on my door pulled me from the second daze I'd found myself in that night. I clicked off the locks and pulled the chain off. I had barely started to pull the door open before my guest shouldered it all the way open and shoved me back a couple of inches.

"What the hell was that?" Cora shouted. "What the fuck happened back there?"

"I don't know! I just…lost it."

"Just lost it?" she mimicked. "No, you nearly killed her! I saw the damage, Ali! Her ribs were showing! I can't understand how she's still alive!"

I ran a hand over my face. "I don't even remember doing that much to her. I just remember coming to after Alan called out to me."

"And you're lucky he did! You would have torn her apart otherwise!" She got closer to me, peering into my eyes. "And your eyes…they were silver."

"I don't know what any of it means, Cora."

"How could you have just lost control like that?" she cried.

"Why are you yelling at me?" I exploded. "She killed my parents, for God's sake! She deserved what she got! She's lucky I didn't finish the job because I sure would have loved to!"

"This isn't you, Ali! You don't kill people."

"Don't lecture me!" I snarled. "I can't believe you're actually defending her!" I blinked rapidly, trying to chase away the anger. "You need to leave, now."

"I'm not going anywhere!"

I got in her face, baring my teeth. "I said, go."

"Why don't you make me?" she challenged. Something in me snapped for the second time that night.

I grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her to the wall next to the door, glaring into her eyes. "Shall I keep going?" I snarled.

She struggled against my grip and was able to get a hand free. She slapped me full in the face. Surprised, I raised my own hand to the tender skin of my stinging cheek. I looked back at her and she smirked triumphantly. I could tell she was going to slap me again so I snatched her hand out of midair and pinned it back to the wall. "Wanna try that again?" I spat.

"This is hardly a fair fight."

"You challenged me, Cora. Don't get mad because I'm stronger and faster. Maybe next time you should think it through all the way."

"Are you insulting me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

I leaned in close, a feral grin spreading on my face. "Very much so, yes."

She let out a yell and pushed with all her might, catching me off guard and succeeding in throwing me back. I stumbled on the edge of the carpet and crashed into the glass table. It shattered upon the impact and I hit the floor hard.

Immediately, Cora was on top of me, pinning my wrists above my head. "Had enough?"

I could have easily thrown her off but part of me didn't want to. Part of me, actually, most of me _liked _this.

Her eyes were searching mine and she lifted my pinned hands up off of the carpet before slamming them back down to get my attention. "I said, had enough?"

I smiled at her. "Not even close."

Her breath hitched. At that moment, I caught wind of a certain scent. It wasn't something I'd ever smelled before. It was warm and sweet and almost sticky…and the most intoxicating thing I'd ever had fill my nose.

Her heartbeat had sped up considerably and I could feel my own pounding in my ears. Our breath was mixing together and I was starting to feel lightheaded.

I glanced down at her lips before reconnecting our eyes. Her pupils had dilated, the soft brown of her irises almost completely swallowed by the black of her pupils.

I knew then that the wonderful scent I'd caught was her…arousal.

Her hair was tousled from our brief wrestling match and her mouth was slightly open, her breath washing over my face like a warm summer wind.

She had never looked more beautiful to me.

Without warning, she surged forward and connected our lips. I responded immediately and moved my mouth hungrily against hers, want and desire erasing all sensible thoughts from my brain.

Her hands released mine and cradled my face while I slid my own down to rest on her hips. Her tongue poked out and swept across my bottom lip. I granted her entrance without hesitation, deepening the kiss.

I slid my hands up underneath her shirt, lightly scratching the soft skin of her back and she moaned into my mouth, driving me even further from sanity.

I quickly flipped our positions, bracing one arm against the floor near her head while the other started sliding up her front to rest on a bra-clad breast.

One of her hands tangled in my hair while the other started scrabbling at my waist, trying to take my tank off. She grew frustrated after a few seconds and I felt her claws extend before tearing through the fabric messily.

"Too much clothes," she growled into my mouth, tossing the ruined shirt aside.

In response, I rose up and ripped off the buttons to the denim shirt she was wearing, adding it to the growing pile of ruined clothes.

I looked down at her, breathing heavily. I had never seen a more gorgeous being then her, in that moment.

She pushed up on her elbows and met my lips again, drawing my tongue back into a battle for dominance that neither of us could win for more than a few moments.

She had a grip around my neck and brought me back to lie fully on top of her. I broke the kiss and attacked the skin of her neck, nipping softly and leaving my mark on her.

The hand in my hair tightened and she let out soft gasps of approval.

I started trailing my kisses down her neck onto her chest, then down her stomach, reveling in the feel of the cut of her abs.

I stopped at her waist and looked up at her, a slow fire beginning to burn in my lower stomach when I saw the look in her eyes.

I hesitated. "Do-do you want-?"

She pulled me forward and kissed me hard, making my head spin. "Don't you dare stop now," she murmured into my lips.

I grinned.

* * *

"Holy…" she breathed.

"…shit," I finished.

"That was…I don't even know what to say," she rasped.

I chuckled weakly. "Hot? Amazing? Mindblowing?"

"All three and then some," she agreed.

"How are you feeling? I know it was your first time so-."

She lifted her head from the juncture of my collarbone and throat and stared at me. "How the hell did you know that?"

I shrugged. "I could just tell. It wasn't anything bad, I promise. You actually surprised me."

"I'm a fast learner."

I snorted. "That's one way of putting it, I guess." Growing serious, I looked her in the eye. "Did I…hurt you?"

She lay her head back down and sighed. "Not at all. I feel…like a star imploded inside of me."

I started to laugh and she slapped me in the face. Again. "Stop laughing at me, it isn't funny!"

I caught her hand and pressed my lips to it. "I'm not laughing at you, honestly. It's just that you described exactly how I felt."

She smiled softly. "Oh. Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah…I've never felt so…close to you. It's weird, but in a good way."

"You're welcome, then."

"Don't get cocky."

"No promises." She pushed off of my chest and stood up, stretching. I don't think she knew how lucky I felt right now.

"Where you going?"

She shrugged. "I have to pee."

As I waited, I placed my hands behind my head and sighed. This had been everything I'd ever imagined and more. And it was apparent that she felt the same. That made me happier than she'd ever know.

"Oh my god, Ali!" she screeched.

I jumped up and hauled open the door. "What? What's wrong?"

She was in front of the mirror and glared at me through the glass. "Look at all these bite marks! And you scratched me a bunch of times!"

I grinned sheepishly. "You only just noticed?" I turned around and jerked a thumb at my back. "You were no innocent little virgin either, Cora."

"I did that?"

"Unless I somehow found a way to bend my arms 360 degrees behind me and drag my claws down from my shoulder blades to my hips, yes, that was you."

She blushed. "Sorry. I didn't realize we were so...physical."

I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and pressed a kiss into her neck. "Well, they do call it angry sex for a reason."

She smiled seductively. "And you know what they say is ten times better than angry sex?"

I cocked an eyebrow and gave her a lazy grin. "Oh? What's that?"

In answer, she turned and shoved me back into the wall. She moved forward and brought our lips together in another kiss of heated passion, reigniting the fire that had been burning in my lower regions. She broke the kiss but kept our lips connected. "Make-up sex."

I gripped the back of her thighs and lifted her up, one hand tightening around her lower back. Her legs wrapped around my waist and she unconsciously grinded her hips into mine, sending my mind into another crazed frenzy.

This girl was going to be the death of me.

* * *

We were able to make it to the bed this time, but barely.

"That was even better the second time," she said hoarsely.

"You're welcome," I said cheekily.

"Don't get cocky."

"No promises."

She started tracing patterns on my upper chest. "So, what does this mean?"

"You mean besides the fact that I've given you the most amazing sex you could ever dream of?" I joked.

She swatted my arm. "I'm serious, Ali. I don't want my first and second times to have been meaningless."

"They weren't," I replied seriously. "I had wanted this for a while, Cora."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just wasn't willing to make a move because I wasn't sure if you felt the same."

She delicately kissed the underside of my jaw. "And now?"

"Well, I definitely know you feel the same way."

"Besides that, you dumbass."

I shrugged lightly. "It means whatever you want, Cora. I care about you, a lot. More than I feel I should."

"And I care about you."

"So…?"

"Maybe we should see where this takes us." She lifted her head. "I want something more for us, Ali."

"You mean more than sex?"

She shook her head. "Can you ever be serious?"

"It's not fun that way."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, more than sex. But we're still having sex, no ifs, ands, or buts about that."

"I'm sure I can manage with that simple request."

"Good." She kissed me deeply, our mouths moving insistently against one another. She gave me a few more chaste kisses before hopping out of the bed. "I'm going to shower. I'm all sweaty and gross."

"You still look amazing."

"Flatterer." She leaned down and kissed my cheek before starting to leave the room.

"Want some company?" I had meant it as a joke but the look she gave me wiped that thought clean from my brain.

Thirty minutes later, we stepped out of the shower together. I went to the whirlpool bath and started running the water.

"What are you doing?" she asked tiredly.

"Taking a bath. It helps me sleep sometimes. You should join me too. It'll help with the achiness, trust me."

"I'm too tired."

"No more sex for tonight, I promise. We'll just soak."

It took a few more minutes for the water to reach high enough for my liking before I turned off the faucet and stepped in. I held out a hand to Cora who looked like she was about to fall over.

She leaned against my chest and snuggled into me, sighing with relief. I wrapped my arms around her protectively. If I could stay in this moment forever, I would.

"This feels nice." She yawned widely. "I didn't know you could orgasm that many times in one night," she muttered.

I chuckled softly. "I'm proud of you. Keeping up with an Alpha's stamina is no small feat. Nobody's ever made it to three rounds in one night before."

She opened her eyes and gazed at me. "How many people have you had sex with?"

"A few. But none of them made me feel like you did," I assured her.

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm serious. It was all casual sex before this. I've never had a connection like this."

"That's sweet." She leaned her head against my shoulder. "Do you…want to talk about what happened today?"

"Not really. I don't ruin this."

She fell silent. After a few minutes, I looked down at her. "Cora?"

She'd fallen fast asleep. She was going to be exhausted and sore tomorrow morning, that was for sure.

I drained the water and carefully extracted myself from her and the tub. I then leaned down and gently picked her up, cradling her to me.

I walked back into the bedroom and placed her down on the bed. I considered trying to get clothes on her but I figured sleeping naked wouldn't really be that big of an issue.

I got into bed behind her and draped an arm around her middle.

"Ali?"

"What's up?"

"What do we tell Derek?"

I laughed into her hair. "Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll be happy."

"This is my brother we're talking about, right?"

"Just go back to sleep, Cora."

She snorted. "Stop telling me what to do."

"That's my line."

She rolled over and kissed me softly. Our other kisses had been ones of almost angry passion but this one was filled with nothing but tenderness.

"Good night, Ali."

"Good night, Cora."

In spite of everything that had happened tonight, I had never felt so at peace.

I didn't know how it happened but it was. I was falling in love with her.

* * *

**A/N:…*sighs* This was just…wow. Read and review, let me know what you guys thought.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. I haven't addressed it yet, but I will now. I won't be following the major canon of the third season, i.e. the sacrifices and Darach and shit. Seeing as the midseason finale is sometime in August and the last half won't air until January, I ain't waiting that long. Besides, this is **_**way **_**cooler, right? :D**


	10. Recollection

**Author's Note: :D :D :D :D :D :D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Recollection**

* * *

"Oomph!"

I flailed my limbs wildly, thinking I was under attack. Usually, I'm the epitome of finesse and grace but sometimes, especially when I'm tired, I just freak out.

"Relax, Ali, it's just a pillow."

The familiar voice calmed my spasms and I sat up quickly. "Isaac, what the hell?"

He smirked at me. "You may want to cover up."

I returned the smirk. "Why, see something you like?"

He reddened and turned away. "Just, please cover up."

I brought the sheet up over my chest. "You can look now."

"Thank you."

"So, how exactly did you get in here, Isaac?"

"Your door was open. Looks like someone had shouldered their way in. What happened?"

At that moment, Cora walked out of the bathroom, stark naked. "I happened."

Isaac quickly covered his eyes. "Geez, what is it with you two?"

"What's the matter? Is it so wrong to be so confident in yourself and your body that you have no problem being naked in front of the opposite sex?" I teased.

"Well, no, but just…geez!"

Cora patted his arm lightly and rejoined me in the bed. "You're so cute, Lahey. Are you a virgin?"

"I can't believe you just asked me that!" he replied, uncovering his eyes.

She shrugged. "It's alright. I was a virgin once."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Once? Don't you mean yesterday, Cora?"

"I'm definitely not anymore," she said seductively and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips.

Isaac's eyebrows hit the ceiling. "You two…?"

"Yup."

He smiled brightly. "It's about time. I was honestly getting kind of sick of all that pent-up sexual tension. I could literally _smell _it."

"Didn't it smell good, though?" I joked.

"I'm not even going to answer that." He fixed his gaze on me, his eyes serious. "Are you alright, Ali?"

And so ended the witty banter. "Yeah, I think so."

"You should see Dr. Deaton. Everyone else is there waiting for you."

I felt an unexplainable rush of anger. "Since when is it any of their business?"

He looked surprised and hurt. "We're just worried about you, Ali. We want to make sure you're okay."

I shook my head, trying to chase the anger away. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just…I don't even know."

"No worries. But you may wanna hurry up. From the look on Deaton's face, the sooner you know what's going on, the better."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Ali."

"Hey, Alan. A little birdy told me you know what's up with what happened last night."

He nodded solemnly. "That I do. I had hoped I would never have to tell you, but it seems that with Kali and Deucalion around, this day was bound to happen." He clasped his hands on top of the counter. "Are you ready to hear this?"

I nodded. "Yeah and please don't pull any punches. I need to know everything."

"Alright. And you're okay with them hearing it too?"

I looked around the lobby area. The faces of Isaac, Scott, Stiles, Derek, Peter, Boyd, Allison, Lydia and Cora stared back at me. My friends and my family (even Peter). People who, a month and a half ago, I had no idea existed. People who had somehow wormed their way into my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. "Yes. They deserve to know as much as I do."

"Very well. Kali mentioned that you have a power, a power that your father had before you, a power that Deucalion wants. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this power is that of what is known as the 'Moon Hound.'"

"The Moon Hound? What the hell is that?"

"Another legend, just like that of the Demon Wolf. Now, the Demon Wolf is known to be the strongest of all werewolves. However, one creature exists that has the ability to defeat the Demon Wolf."

"The Moon Hound."

"Precisely."

"So, I'm the only one who'll be able to beat Deucalion?"

"Yes. While you do contain the power to do so, it will take time for your strength to grow to that point."

"Which means I just have to stay alive for long enough?"

"Theoretically, yes. However, there is a danger."

"What do you mean?"

"The power of the Moon Hound is evil, corruptive. Now that you recognize who you are, that evil power will continue to grow and may very well take over your spirit."

"You're saying I'm evil?"

"No, I'm saying that your power is. It will be up to you not to give in. When you were fighting Kali, was there a voice in your head that told you to ignore your morality and simply finish her?"

"…Yes."

"What you did was admirable. Running away instead of giving in will be important in the weeks to come. Every time you give into that voice, your power will grow but so will the corruption. It's important that you allow time to be your catalyst, rather than taking matters into your own hands, do you understand?"

"You're saying that if I kill people, my power will grow?"

"Yes and at a much faster rate than just time. But it comes with a price, a very heavy one. You will want to hold on to your humanity, Ali. For more than just to prevent your spirit from becoming corrupted."

"Meaning…?"

"The legend also states that if the Moon Hound becomes pure evil, they will swallow the moon."

"What? What the hell does that mean?"

"Exactly as it sounds. If you succeed in that, Deucalion's true power will be released and he will be unstoppable."

"This is sounding suspiciously like a bunch of Norse mythology or something."

"That's because it is. These legends aren't pure fabrication, you know."

"Wait," Stiles interjected. "Isn't there another? This legend you're referring to also talks about there being a counterpart to the Moon Hound."

Deaton smiled sadly. "Yes, the Sun Wolf."

"That's original," I snorted. "If I'm the Moon Hound, then who's the Sun Wolf?"

"Your sister, Nicole."

My eyes widened. "I…a sister?"

"I take it you don't remember her, either."

A sudden sharp pain attacked the base of my skull and I rubbed my neck, trying to massage the pain away. I had three small circular scars there but they hadn't hurt in years.

Alan frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." I cracked my neck. "I haven't had pain back there in forever."

"Do you mind if I check?"

I shrugged. "Sure." I walked to him and turned around, allowing him to inspect my neck.

His fingers were ghosting over the area. "Do you remember where you got these scars, Ali?"

I shook my head. "I've had them for as long as I can remember."

"What is it, Doc?" Scott asked.

"These scars were made from claws."

Peter nodded slowly. "Her memory was taken. By Deucalion, if I had to venture a guess."

"Yes."

I turned back around. "My memory was taken? We can do that?"

"Only Deucalion can. Werewolves can share memories by doing so but only the Demon Wolf has the power to take them away."

"Why would Deucalion take my memory?"

"To keep you from remembering that he and Kali killed your parents," Peter answered. "Also to keep you from remembering that you had a sister."

"How does me having a sister hurt him in any way?"

"The Moon Hound and the Sun Wolf," Alan started. "If both succeed in swallowing the moon and the sun, respectively, only then will Deucalion become invincible. He didn't want you being able to influence your sister into not giving in to her own evils."

"Okay, then where is she? Maybe it isn't too late."

"Only you know that, Ali."

"How am I supposed to figure that out if I can't even remember her?"

Peter smiled. "We'll just have to jog your memory a bit."

* * *

I stared into the ice apprehensively. "Uh, is this really the only way? Can't one of you just stick your claws back into my neck?"

"That may not work. This is the only surefire way."

"Damn it."

Isaac clapped me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Ali. I did it too. That's how we found Boyd and Cora."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"Maybe this will." Cora wrapped her arms around me tightly and gave me a kiss. "We'll be right here, Ali. Nothing's going to happen."

I smiled in spite of myself. "I guess, if I did die, you're all screwed, huh?"

She swatted my arm. "Not funny."

"She's right, Ali. We won't let anything happen to you," Alan tried his hand at reassuring me.

"Okay, okay. Let's just get this done."

I was already stripped down to my undergarments so I dipped a foot into the ice bath. "Shit, that's cold."

Taking a deep breath, I sunk my leg all the way in, followed by my other. I let that breath out and sucked in another one, lowering myself into the icy concoction.

Cora and Derek placed their hands on each of my shoulders. "Ready?" Derek asked.

I nodded. "Let's do it."

They simultaneously pushed me under the water. It was odd, but I was surprisingly rather warm. The last thing I remembered was my head breaking the surface, my fangs bared in a vicious roar.

* * *

"_Daddy, daddy!" A young girl, no older than seven, ran at her father and hugged him around the leg._

_The man laughed deeply and picked her up, spinning her around. She giggled with glee, urging him to go faster._

_He lowered her down and kissed her forehead. "Do you know how much I love you, Alannah?"_

_She smiled widely. "More than the whole, wide world!" She spread her arms to show just how large._

"_More than a million worlds combined, baby girl," he murmured. "Don't let anyone ever tell you different."_

_**Dad…**_

"_Hey, sweetheart!" A woman at the stove looked up and frowned at the sad look on the young girl's face. "What's wrong, Alannah?"_

_She sighed. "I didn't wanna leave yet, Mommy."_

"_Well, why did you have to leave?"_

"_Cora said they were all going to dinner."_

"_Oh, honey, you'll see her tomorrow. You two are inseparable!"_

_The young girl smiled softly. "She's my best friend!"_

"_So you have nothing to worry about. Who dropped you off, sweetie?"_

"_Uncle Peter! He even stopped off to get me some ice cream!"_

"_Before dinner? I'll have to call Mr. Peter up to scold him!" she said teasingly._

_Immediately, her daughter's face grew worried. "No, please don't! I asked him to!"_

_Her mother kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, Alannah. It'll be our little secret."_

_**Mom…**_

"_I don't wanna play anymore!"_

"_Aw, come on, Nikki! Just five more minutes!"_

"_I'm tired and I wanna go home now!" 'Nikki' yelled._

_The other girl held up her hands. "Okay, okay, we'll go home! Come on."_

_The two walked side by side on their way home from the park. "Ali, my feet hurt. I don't wanna walk anymore."_

"_What do you want me to do about it?"_

_The younger brunette reached out with a small smile. "Will you carry me? Please?"_

_The bigger girl rolled her eyes but dipped down, allowing the smaller one to clamber onto her back. "Thank you, Ali!"_

"_What else are big sisters for?"_

_**Nicole…**_

"_Daddy!" she screamed._

_Her father burst into the bathroom. "What is it, Ali? What's wrong?"_

_She turned away from the mirror, afraid. "My face…I don't know what happened!"_

_The man smiled sadly down at her. "So the time has come…I'm so sorry, Ali. I had truly hoped your sister and you would escape this."_

"_What do you mean, Daddy? What's going on?"_

"_Dillon, what's happening?" Her mother walked in and gasped. "Oh, no! Is it…?"_

"_Yes, it's just as we feared."_

"_When do we leave?"_

"_By the end of this week. We have to disappear. Deucalion will come looking for me, for them."_

"_I'll start packing." The woman left._

"_Daddy? What do you guys mean? Where are we going?"_

"_Far away from here, Ali? Where the bad people can't find us."_

"_I don't wanna leave!" she yelled. "What about Cora, and Derek, Uncle Peter, and Tali?"_

"_I'm sorry, Ali. Talia and Peter will understand. I'm sorry."_

"_But, Daddy-!"_

_Her father fixed her with a hard stare. "That's enough, Alannah. We're leaving. End of story."_

_**Werewolf…**_

"_Sandra, get them out of here, quickly!" he yelled._

"_Dillon, no! I won't leave you!"_

_He grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her deeply. "I'm so sorry, Sandra. I love you with all of my heart." He knelt down quickly and pulled his daughters into his chest, hugging them tightly. "Goodbye, my sweetest daughters. I love you."_

"_Daddy!"_

"_Dad!"_

_He turned around, his body transforming into a huge, feral beast. "Go!" he roared._

_With one last look, Sandra hurried away with the two young girls, leaving her husband behind._

_The last thing Alannah remembered hearing was a strangled howl and a scream of fury._

_**Deucalion…**_

"_Shh…" Sandra hushed them. "You two have to be quiet. Just for a little while longer."_

"_Okay, Mommy."_

_A few minutes passed before they heard the creaking of the door opening. Alannah could only see the feet of the person. They were barefoot and had long black claws for toenails._

"_I know you're here, Sandra." A woman, then. "Just give me the girls and you can go free. There's no one to protect you anymore. Your husband is dead. And if you don't hand them over, you will be too."_

_Her mother took a deep breath. "Mommy, what are you doing?" Alannah whispered worriedly._

_Sandra smiled at her. "What every mother should." She kissed both girls before leaving the hideaway and confronting the intruder._

"_I'll never give them up to the likes of you," her mother snarled._

"_That's a shame."_

_Alannah heard the whoosh of air and her mother keeled over, blood pouring from her neck. "Mommy!" she screamed._

"_There you are!"_

_Alannah grabbed her sister's hand and tore out of their hiding spot, sparing one last glance at her dead mother before melting into the darkness of the night._

_**Kali…**_

"_Nicole!" Alannah yelled into the trees. "Nikki, where are you? This isn't funny!"_

_She paused and sniffed the air deeply, smirking in triumph. She leapt up into one of the trees and cried, "Boo!"_

_Her sister gave a surprised cry and fell out of the tree. Alannah jumped down after her and landed far more gracefully. "That hurt, Ali!"_

"_That's what you get for hiding from me. You know you can't do that. They could find us."_

"_I know, I know! I'm just tired of running! I miss Mom and Dad!"_

_Alannah grew solemn. "They're dead, Nikki. Complain all you want. It won't bring them back."_

"_How can you be so mean?"_

"_I'm not being mean. You know it's the truth."_

_Her sister stared at the ground, tears threatening to spill over. "I hate you," she muttered darkly._

_Alannah sighed. "If it means keeping you safe, hate me all you want."_

_Nicole jumped up, her tears flowing freely. "I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you!"_

_Alannah said nothing, just allowed her sister to scream and cry and shout until her voice grew hoarse. Then, the older girl tugged her sister to her chest. "I'm sorry, Nikki."_

_Nicole sobbed into Alannah's shoulder, clutching onto her as if the thirteen year old was her lifeline. "I don't hate you, Ali. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"_

"_I know, Nikki. I know you didn't mean it."_

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

_**Hidden…**_

"_No, please! Don't take her!" Alannah screamed at them, only able to watch helplessly as her sister was tied up and thrown into the back of a vehicle._

"_Shut up, you stupid kid!" One of the men slapped her across the face and she saw stars._

"_You and your sister…we know what you are. We don't like your kind. You're a danger to all of us."_

"_Please, we haven't hurt anyone! Don't you hunters have a code? We haven't killed anybody!" Alannah pleaded._

"_I said, shut the fuck up! I don't care about that dumb code!" He signaled three others. "Take that one back to the house. We'll take care of her there."_

"_What are you going to do about her?" one of them asked._

_He glared down at Alannah. "We'll kill her here, soon."_

_The trio hopped into the truck and drove away. "Alannah!" was the last thing she heard._

"_No, Nicole!" But the truck was gone. She turned her head to look at the hunter. "Why?"_

"_You won't have to worry about that any longer." He leveled a gun at her temple. "Any last words?"_

_She let her wolf take control and head-butted him in the stomach. He gasped and dropped the gun. Instantly, she was on top of him, a clawed hand at his throat. "Any last words?" she mimicked menacingly._

"_W-wait!" he spluttered. "Please don't kill me!"_

"_You were about to murder a fourteen year old girl in cold blood!" she snarled._

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please, I don't wanna die!"_

"_Where did you take her?"_

_He started to reach into his pocket but she growled at him and he held up his hands in surrender. "In my pocket, there's a map. Follow it to reach the house."_

_She retrieved the map and smiled darkly at him. "Thanks."_

"_Can I go now?" he asked hopefully._

_She slashed downward and opened up four grisly cuts on his face, from his hairline to his chin. She got off of him and he pressed his hands to his face, screaming loudly. Blood was squirting from beneath his fingers._

"_So you'll remember me," she said lowly and sprinted off._

_She ran for a mile before stopping. She knew that he would come looking for her again and he'd bring a whole team. She crouched next to a tree and buried the map, creating a symbol with her claws so she'd remember which one._

_She could already hear people about a half mile away. It hadn't taken the hunter long to call in the cavalry._

_Hopefully Nicole wouldn't have to wait too long for her…_

* * *

My eyes snapped open.

"Ali, thank god!" Cora pulled me out of the tub and I just melted into her arms. My body was weak and I was shivering violently.

"Wh-what happened?" I chattered.

"Your heart stopped. For fifteen minutes," Alan explained. "We thought for a minute that we'd lost you."

"I'm-I'm okay."

"What happened, Ali? You were supposed to go into a hypnotic state. Instead, you basically just shut down."

"I…I remembered. Everything, all of it. My mother, my father, my sister…" I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, snuggling into Cora's grip to try and regain body heat. "The hunters…they took Nicole."

"Where?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. They found us four years ago. I had a map to the house but I buried it."

"Do you remember where the map is?"

"Yes. I marked the tree." I looked at Alan seriously. "I need to find her."

He returned the look sadly. "Ali…she may no longer be alive…"

"I don't care! I need to try, at least. I owe her that much."

"Then, we'll look for her, Ali. But you need to rest."

"There's no time for that! Every second I waste-!"

"You'll be no use as you are. You try and storm the house now and you'll just get yourself killed," he said.

I gnashed my teeth. He was right. "…Fine. I'll go tomorrow morning, first thing."

"You mean 'we'll' go, right?"

I frowned at Cora. "No, I mean 'I'll' go."

"You're just gonna leave us behind, then?"

"This is something I have to do on my own. I'm not putting any of you into danger if I can help it."

"Since when do you decide what's best for me? For any of us?" she replied hotly.

I really didn't want to do this right now. "Cora, please…"

"No. We're going to help you. End of story. You'll need all the help you can get." She looked so determined; there was no other answer I could give. Ennis' parting words were resonating through my mind as well.

"…Okay. Thank you."

"As if you should have expected anything else."

"If you guys are going to be going after hunters," Allison suddenly spoke up. "I know someone who can help."

* * *

**A/N: Some Norse mythology for you (I changed most of it, but yanno what I mean). And I'm sure all of y'all can guess what the next chapter will be about, heheheh. Peace out, homies.**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. Yes, yes, it was rather short, but it needed to be done. :D**


	11. Reunited

**Author's Note: 'Sup. We know what's gonna be going down in this chapter so I'll just let y'all get to it, eh? :D**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Reunited**

* * *

"You sure you wanna do this, Allison?"

"If there's anyone who knows hunters, it's my dad."

"Getting him involved could be potentially dangerous."

"It's okay, Alannah. We need to find your sister. He can help."

"…Thank you."

"No need. The look on my dad's face will be reward enough," she joked.

She entered the door to her apartment. "Dad? Dad, are you here?"

"I'm in my office, honey."

She nodded me forward and we proceeded down the hall. Mr. Argent looked up when we walked in and a small smile appeared on his face. "Who's your friend, Allison?"

"This is Alannah, Dad."

I stuck out a hand and he stood to shake it. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Argent."

"Likewise." He crossed his arms. "What can I do for you?"

"I need your help, Mr. Argent. Desperately."

He shook his head at his daughter. "Something tells me she doesn't need help with algebra."

Funny guy, this man. "No, I happen to be pretty good with numbers."

"What is this about, Allison?" he addressed his daughter, completely ignoring me.

"Hunters, Dad. They took her sister. We need to find her."

He sighed. "I thought we were done with this, Allison."

"You know as well as I do that that isn't really possible."

"…Do you know who took her?" he finally addressed me directly.

I thought back to the memory. "He had bright green eyes, brown hair, uh…"

"Anything more specific? Those are pretty generic features."

"Oh, yeah. He should have a scar running down his face, forehead to chin."

"Hmm…you must be talking about Greg."

"Where is he?"

"Don't you have a map, Ali?" Allison asked me.

"I don't know if it'll be reliable. Four years underground may have faded the ink, assuming it's even still there." I looked back at Chris. "Where is he?"

"The last I heard of him, he and his followers had a house a couple of hours away."

"Do you know specifically where?"

He opened a drawer to his desk and pulled out a map. "The location is marked here, with the X."

I studied the map quickly before handing it back to him. "Perfect. Thank you, Mr. Argent."

"You don't need the map?"

I tapped my head. "It's all up here."

He nodded slowly. "Be careful, okay? Greg is a dangerous man. He's still furious about what happened four years ago."

"I appreciate your concern. We'll be careful." I gave him a brief smile and turned on my heel to leave.

"Alannah, one more thing."

"Yes, Mr. Argent?"

"If my daughter comes to any harm on your little rescue mission, it's your head, you understand?"

I smirked at him. I liked this man. "She won't even be coming along, Mr. Argent. So no need to worry."

* * *

The wind whipping past my face and through my hair urged me to run faster. Nicole couldn't wait any longer, I wouldn't allow it.

I could see the lights of the house up ahead with my enhanced vision and I halted, holding up a hand to signal the others.

"There it is," I said.

"What's the plan?" Isaac asked.

"Simple. We go in and rescue Nicole."

"That wasn't what I meant, Alannah," he responded, frowning. "I meant, what do we do about the hunters?"

"If they get in the way, we fight. If not, we don't fight." I fixed him, Cora, Derek, Scott and Boyd with a harsh glare. "I want no casualties, okay?"

"You should be telling yourself that," Derek replied. "You're the one who went ape-shit the last time."

"I'll keep myself under control; you don't need to worry about me."

"Let's hope so."

We hurriedly ran the last distance as quietly as we could, coming to another halt when we reached the gate.

"Do you think there's a back door?" Cora whispered.

"I'll go check," Boyd whispered back and was gone with nary another word.

He returned within a minute and shook his head. "Back door is guarded. Three dudes."

"Should we just knock them out?" Cora asked.

Scott shook his head before I could. "No need to call attention to ourselves. I saw an open window on the side. It didn't look like there was anyone in the room."

He led the way to the window and we all leaped up into the room. It was empty, like he said.

"Now what?" Isaac said quietly.

"Where would they keep her?" Scott asked.

"Basement," Derek grunted. "It's like an unwritten rule in the werewolf hunter guide book."

I opened the door slowly and peeked out. The hallways were empty. "Come on."

The door that led to the basement was also unguarded. I opened the door and sniffed deeply. I could only catch the scent of one person. "It's only her."

"So what's the problem?" Cora asked.

"We haven't met any hunters. Something seems off. Where is everyone?"

"Maybe they went grocery shopping or something. Let's just get Nicole and get the hell out of here!" Isaac whispered hurriedly.

My senses were sending off serious warning bells but I ignored them.

I leaped from the entrance and landed lightly on my feet at the base of the stairs. It was almost pitch black so I relied on my nose and my ears to lead me to my sister. "Nicole?" I whispered softly.

There was no response. I sniffed again. She was here, I could tell. "Nikki, it's me. It's Alannah," I tried again.

"…Wh-who's there?" a tired voice finally answered.

"Nikki, where are you?"

All of a sudden, the lights turned on and flooded the room. Eight hunters stood in a semicircle around us, all of their weapons cocked.

Greg stepped forward, an angry scowl painted all over his scarred mug. "You…I remember you!"

I scoffed, trying to bring my heart rate under control. Now wasn't the time to wolf out and kill everyone.

As much as I wanted to…

"I see you did what I asked, then," I said sarcastically.

His eyes darkened. "You ready to die?"

I felt my canines shoot out and I growled. "Tough talk coming from a guy who got his ass handed to him by a fourteen year old."

"You caught me off guard, that's all. I wasn't afraid of you."

"Oh, you weren't, huh? So that pathetic begging for your life was just an act, then?"

"I didn't beg for my life, you liar!"

"And I thought I was the one who had a bad memory…"

He waved his gun in the air angrily. "I'm sick of talking." He leveled the gun at me, his finger hovering over the trigger. "It's a shame you came all this way to rescue your little sister. Now she gets to watch you die."

I roared at him and he pulled the trigger, a bullet tearing through my shoulder. I ran at him, ignoring the pain, and swiped the gun out of his hand. All hell broke loose.

The others heeded my words and focused on decommissioning the hunters. Derek took out one with a well-executed backflip and shoved another into a wall, his eyes glowing bright red. Cora kicked one in the kneecap, hard, and he crumbled to the ground. Isaac had one by the throat while Boyd lifted yet another and slammed him into the ground, cracking the cement. Scott jumped onto one of the walls and shoved off of it, knocking the last two out when he collided with them.

Meanwhile, Greg had pulled out an electrified baton and was currently swinging it at me, his attempts punctuated by harsh yells.

I ducked one last time and shouldered him into the wall, the plaster throwing up a large cloud of dust as he crumpled to the floor.

I took deep breaths, clenching and unclenching my fists. I _really _wanted to kill this guy.

"Ali?" Cora's voice tore through the haze in my mind. "Ali, it's over. Let him go."

"Why should I?" I snarled. "He kidnapped my sister, tortured her! He deserves to die!" I began advancing on him but Scott stepped in front of me.

"Alannah, don't. Remember what your godfather told you," he reasoned.

I roared at him. He stood his ground, gazing back at me.

His bravery gave me pause and I shook my head quickly, quieting the voice inside. "You've got balls, McCall."

He said nothing, only nodded cautiously.

I turned back to Nicole, getting a good look at her for the first time in four years.

Her face was gaunt and her hair was hanging limply. She looked like she hadn't had a proper meal in forever.

She was chained to the ceiling by her wrists and wires were connected to a black rectangle taped to her abdomen. If I had to guess, electrical currents were running through them.

I reached up hesitantly, my hands hovering over her cheeks. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was labored. "Nikki? Nikki, it's me."

I placed my hands delicately on her face and her eyes snapped open. She bore her teeth and snapped at me, causing me to jump back.

She pulled free from the ceiling with a strength that betrayed her current state of appearance and crouched over, shaking.

"Nikki?" I reached out but her head whipped up, her eyes narrowed at me.

Her irises were not quite yellow or gold, not quite orange and not quite red. It was a complex blend of all of those colors. It was as if I was staring at miniature suns.

She tackled me to the ground before I could react and placed a clawed hand at my jugular. "Nikki, it's me!" I cried.

She smiled humorlessly and got up, shaking her head. "I know it's you, Alannah. But I don't care. You left me. For four fucking years." She lashed out suddenly and blood spurted from my side. "How could you do that to me?" she screamed.

I crouched down, gripping my wound. "I'm sorry," I said sadly.

In answer, she brought up a knee and caught me in the jaw. Black spots popped into my vision, which was starting to grow red. "I don't want your damn apology! Get up!"

I got to my feet and bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood. "I'm sorry," I said more forcefully.

She swiped out again and sliced from my collarbone to the middle of my chest. "I said I don't want your apology, damn it!"

I got in front of her and took her by the shoulders but she shoved me away with a harsh kick, her barefooted claws cutting into my stomach. I had never seen myself bleed so much…

I spat up a small glob of blood.

"Nicole, stop it! Can't you see she's sorry?" Cora yelled angrily.

Nicole glared at her, then at the others. "And who the fuck are you?"

I shook my head at them. "Stay out of it."

My sister looked back at me and snarled. She punched me in the sternum and I gasped, falling to my knees again.

She stood over me. "You never answered my question. How could you do that to me, Ali?"

I struggled to my feet and looked her dead in the eyes. "I didn't do it on purpose, Nikki."

"Bullshit!" She lunged at me again but I caught her around the waist and held her to my chest tightly. She started scratching at my back, trying to get free, but I had a vice grip on her.

I slowly lowered us to the ground, never loosening my hold an inch.

She had dug her fangs into my shoulder but whether it was from anger of grief, I couldn't tell.

"I'm so sorry, Nikki…" My heart was breaking for my younger sister. I couldn't imagine what she'd been through in the last few years.

And it was my fault.

"I hate you," she murmured into my shirt. "I hate you so fucking much."

"I know. It was my fault. And I'm sorry."

Her burst of energy didn't last much longer and she ended up falling asleep cradled into me. Isaac gently pried her out of my arms and started up the stairs, Derek, Boyd and Scott following him.

Only Cora remained with me, a silent comfort for my grief. I remained kneeling in the same position for so long that she eventually crouched in front of me and drew me into a long kiss. There was no passion, no lust, no desire, just simple comfort. She then pulled me into her chest and let me cry. I cried for what felt like hours. I cried for Nicole and I cried for my parents. It was the first time I'd really allowed myself to grieve in years.

"It'll be alright, Ali."

"No, it won't. She hates me. And she has every right to."

"It wasn't your fault, Alannah. She'll realize that, in time."

"It was. I shouldn't have let them take her. I should've saved her. I should've-."

Cora raised a hand and slapped me across the face harshly. I blinked in surprise and cradled my cheek. "What the heck?"

"You need to stop right now. It was not your fault. This whole 'bad big sister' routine is stupid and annoying."

"You must really love slapping me," I groaned.

"But…?"

I sighed. "But you're right. It wasn't my fault."

"Damn straight."

I smiled softly. "Thanks, Cora."

"Anytime."

* * *

"How is she?"

"She's stable for now. She should wake up soon."

"Thanks a million, Alan." I hugged him tightly. "You're always saving my ass."

"That's what I'm here for, Ali." He nodded shortly and walked to the door. "I'll give you a minute alone." He closed the door softly behind him.

I looked down at Nicole. She was already starting to look better. She'd woken up halfway through the run back and demanded food. She nearly attacked poor Isaac, who'd taken it upon himself to carry her on his back.

Scott and I ran quickly to a nearby hole-in-the-wall burger joint and got a meal to bring back. She'd wolfed the thing down and promptly vomited before falling unconscious again. It was actually pretty funny.

I brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and she moaned, her eyelids cracking open. Her eyes landed on me but it took a few more seconds before she focused.

"Ali?"

"I'm here, Nikki."

She smacked her forehead. "So it wasn't a dream…"

"No, it wasn't."

"You know, every day I was sure you would come to rescue me. Greg would always laugh in my face and say you were never coming. But I believed. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. I kept believing." Her voice hitched and I could tell tears weren't far below the surface. "But those months turned into years. And I started losing faith. I thought Greg was right, that you had forgotten about me."

"Technically, I did."

She looked at me. "What?"

"My memory was taken. Up until yesterday, I didn't even know I had a sister."

"How?"

"Another wolf named Deucalion."

"How'd he do that?"

"There's a lot I need to fill you in on."

"I'm listening."

"Not now. Later, after you've rested."

"I'm fine, Alannah!"

"Please, Nikki. I just got you back. I can't lose you again."

"…Fine."

"Thank you." I turned to leave but she grabbed my hand.

"…I'm sorry, Alannah," she whispered.

I raised my eyebrows. "_You're _sorry? What on earth do you have to be sorry for?"

"Before…when I said I hated you."

"It's alright, Nicole."

"No, it's not! Why are you always acting so noble?" she practically screamed. "How can you be okay with me saying I hate you?"

"I'd let you tell me a thousand times every day if-."

"If it'd keep me safe," she finished slowly. Shaking her head, she smiled up at me. "You haven't changed at all."

I grinned back. "Neither have you."

She grew serious and placed her other hand over my own. "Thank you for saving me. It took you long enough but you did it, so thank you."

"I would've done it sooner, but…"

"You don't need to explain anymore. I understand. And…I love you, Ali. I really missed you."

I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I love you too. And I'm sorry that this happened."

She shrugged. "Eh, now I can use it to guilt you into doing whatever I want."

"Of course."

"There you go, being all noble again." She dropped my hand and pointed at the door. "Out. I'm tired."

I plopped into a chair that I had dragged in and crossed my arms. "I'm not leaving you alone in here. Get some sleep."

"I said 'out'."

"I don't care. I'm the big sister and I'm overruling you. Besides, this is technically my old room so you're the one intruding, not the other way around."

"Whatever." She rolled over, facing away from me, and fell asleep in less than five minutes.

* * *

"I can walk fine by myself, Ali!"

"Would you stop being so difficult, please? I'm trying to help."

"I don't need, nor do I want your help. I can do it myself."

"You want to eat the floor again then, huh?"

She pushed me. "Screw you."

I held my hands up in surrender. "Fine, do what you want."

I quickly made my way down the stairs and looked back up at her. "What's taking so long?"

"Fuck you," she muttered darkly and gingerly placed a foot on the top step, wincing when she placed her weight on it.

"Nikki…"

"Stay there! I can do this."

She was able to make it down three steps on her own before she was leaning heavily on the side rail, her breathing labored. I made my way back up to her and held out a hand.

She ignored it initially and groaned. "I hate being this weak."

"You were locked away in a basement for four years. It's understandable."

"Yeah, but it fucking sucks."

"Well, that too."

She finally accepted my hand and I quickly lifted her up honeymoon style. I got her down the stairs and into an armchair in the living room before she could protest.

Alan placed a hand on her forehead and inspected her eyes. "You're looking much better already, Nicole."

"I am a werewolf, Alan."

He looked slightly surprised. "You remember me?"

"How could I forget? You used to sneak me treats at the dinner table whenever you were over. And that was a lot."

"So you remember him because of food? Typical," I snorted.

She glared at me. "At least I didn't forget him at any point." She immediately backtracked, though I think Cora's glare played a large part in that. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to…sorry."

"What's done is done. So it's cool."

"No, it's not, but I'm too tired to argue." She leaned back in the armchair and sighed. "Man, I am exhausted."

"Do you want to rest some more?" I asked.

"No, I want to hear what you need to tell me."

For the next half hour, I explained everything that had happened and what she and I were. The others jumped in infrequently.

Nicole stayed quiet for the most part, with a few curses and cocked eyebrows.

When I was finished, she was silent for another minute before speaking. "So, to get this straight…you and I are basically supposed to eat the sun and moon, thereby releasing Deucalion's true power and allowing him to become essentially invincible?"

"Yes."

"And you and I are not evil but our powers are?"

"Yes."

"And the only way to beat Deucalion is to remain pure and righteous and blah blah blah until we grow strong enough to defeat him?"

"Yes."

She whistled lowly. "Well, shit. Sounds like a fun time."

"You're not worried?" I asked.

"Why should I be? From what you're telling me, all we have to do is stay alive and not kill anyone, right?"

"It isn't that easy, Nicole."

"Yeah, it is. If you don't think too much about it then there isn't a problem."

"You really think that's all it takes? Every fiber of your being will be telling you to kill."

"I spent the last four years being tortured by those bastards. You think I didn't want to kill them, rip them to shreds for what they did?"

"I'm sure you did, but-!"

"But nothing! If that didn't teach me self-control, I don't know what could."

I went to argue but Alan placed a warning hand on my shoulder. "Enough, Alannah."

I growled but relented. "Fine."

"Don't look so angry, Ali. We'll be alright," Nicole tried to assure me.

"If you say so."

"I do." She clapped her hands. "Now, I'm hungry. What's a girl gotta do to get some grub around here?"

I grinned at her. She remembered. "Get on your hands and knees and grovel like a peasant."

She got down, slowly and carefully, and clasped her hands in front of her face. "Please sir, I want some more."

"What? Ask for more?" I responded with a deliberately awful British accent. "Away with your filth, plebeian!"

She laughed loudly and then coughed, wincing. "Ah, maybe that wasn't the best idea."

I helped her to her feet. "Yeah, probably not."

The others were looking at me incredulously so I explained. "We watched Oliver Twist when we were what, eight and nine?"

Nicole nodded. "We thought their accents were fake. And that scene were Oliver asked for more food was just super funny for some reason. So we copied it."

"That was just pure weirdness," Stiles said.

"You're just jealous," I replied.

"Seriously though, Ali, I want food."

"There's food here."

"No, I want a burger."

"We fed you a burger. And you threw it up."

"I'm feeling better now. And I'm craving a burger."

"I'll take her to get it," Isaac said quickly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So quick to volunteer. What gives?"

Before he could fumble over his words, Nicole hobbled over to him and gripped his arm. "I remember you. You carried me on your back, huh?"

He nodded and she smiled. "Take me to get food."

He looked at me nervously and I sighed. I tossed him the keys to my Charger. "Take my car."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. And if she comes back with even a scratch, I'll kill you. Clear?"

He gulped. "Uh, crystal."

"Good. Now get going."

He helped Nicole to the entrance and my younger sister winked suggestively at me before the door slid shut.

* * *

**A/N: Read and review, yo! Ya know ya want to!**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	12. End and Beginning

**Author's Note: Hey, yo! How's errybody doing? Good? GOOD! Okay, enough of my weirdness, on to the reason you clicked on this beautiful thing here.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: End and Beginning**

* * *

It had been a week since we'd rescued Nicole from the hunters. She was acclimating pretty nicely to her surroundings but some things were harder to move on from.

She'd been having nightmares for the past few days. She would wake up screaming and I'd rush out of my bed and into hers, stroking her hair and trying to coax her back to sleep.

As soon as she'd come to her senses, she'd push me away angrily and yell something about how she wasn't some baby that needed to be comforted. I didn't know what to do. Trying to respect her wishes, I'd leave the room, only to hear her crying softly as soon as the door shut.

Cora said she just needed some time; she hadn't had a sister, or anyone, there for her in four years. Once she realized that I wasn't going anywhere, she'd come around.

I really hoped she was right. I don't how much more I could take. Just standing around and acting like it wasn't breaking my heart to have to listen to my sister nearly break down every night wasn't something I wanted anymore.

It infuriated me to a point where I knew I could easily seek out the bastards that caused her so much pain and crush their skulls. It was only through the combined efforts of my friends that I kept relatively calm.

Having Forest around was helping quite a bit. He'd taken it upon himself to start sleeping with her in the guest room. She didn't push him away like she did to me. I'd often find her curled around him, her face buried into the crook of his neck.

However, this morning, when I walked into the room, both of them were gone.

"Cora?" I called as I shut the door. "Have you seen Nicole or Forest?"

"Not since last night, no. Maybe she took him for a walk or something?"

I nodded absently. "Yeah, I guess."

Cora had basically moved into my apartment. After our first night together, the night where I nearly killed Kali, she was over as often as she was able. I don't think she'd slept at Derek's loft for almost a week and a half. I felt kind of bad for him, all alone, but it wasn't like I wanted Cora to go back to his place.

I'm allowed to be a little bit selfish.

My front door opened and Forest pattered in, his tag jingling. Nicole was right behind him, carrying a bag of food. "Morning, sis."

"Hey." I pointed at the bag. "Are those cheeseburgers?"

"Yeah," she responded brightly. "I bought a couple for you and Cora, too."

"Thanks, Nikki." I took the bag from her and grabbed my cheeseburger and fries. I took a large bite as Cora joined us, drying her hair. She was wrapped only in a towel and I had to resist the urge to tear it from her body.

It wouldn't do to have to subject my sister to the sight.

"I don't understand how you two can eat cheeseburgers at ten o'clock in the morning," Cora said, shaking her head as she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

Nicole and I both grinned at her simultaneously. "It's also very creepy when you do that," she muttered, pouring a glass of water.

We turned to look at one another and just burst out laughing. "You know, maybe people have a point," Nicole snorted. "It is a little bit weird."

"Nah, it's only weird if we look at each other," I disagreed.

"So, moral of the story?" she started.

"Don't look at each other," I finished. We high-fived and I grinned at Cora as she rolled her eyes humorously.

"You guys are definitely related."

Nicole gave her a questioning stare. "Really? You think so?" She looked back at me, smiling. "Listen to that, Ali! We're related!"

"Shit, I always thought something seemed similar about the two of us," I joked.

Cora placed her glass in the sink and headed back for my room. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"To put some clothes on. I'm not walking out of here naked."

I cocked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't mind."

Nicole pretended to dry heave. "Oh, gross. I'm eating, dude!"

"You'll understand when you have someone as gorgeous as her," I said.

Cora winked at me and disappeared behind the door.

"So, how did you two get together?" my sister asked as she took another bite of her burger.

"Hmm…well, you know that we were best friends, right? Before Dad…uh…"

She nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, after Deucalion tried to kill me and I started staying with Derek, she was the one who was the nicest to me in the beginning. She didn't act like I was the enemy or anything but she had made it clear that she didn't trust me too much. From the beginning, I was sort of attracted to her, you know? It kept building up until I realized that I liked her."

"And did she like you?"

Cora walked out of the room, fully clothed. A very small pang of disappointment ran through me. "Of course, how could you not like that beautiful face of hers?"

"I'm still eating." Nicole rolled her eyes in mock disgust before continuing. "Okay, so how did it culminate to the point where you two fucked?"

I snorted into my burger. "Jeez, Nicole, could you be any blunter?"

"You sound so surprised."

"Mhmm…anywho, it was the night that I almost killed Kali. She came after me and…well, the rest is history."

"Who initiated?"

I smirked at Nicole. "She did."

Cora smacked me lightly. "No, I didn't!"

"Oh, really? Because, if I recall correctly, and I do, _you _were the one on top of me and _you _were the one who kissed me."

She paused. "Hmm…well, it doesn't matter anyway. Even if I hadn't kissed you first, it still would've happened."

Nicole grinned. "And why is that?"

"There was enough sexual tension to fill a bathtub," Cora deadpanned.

It was Nicole's turn to snort into her burger. "Oh, god, I didn't need to know that. TMI…"

I shrugged at her. "You asked."

* * *

"Heya, Frank!"

The older man looked up from the desk and smiled widely. "Kid! How you doing?"

"I'm alright." I indicated Nicole, who was busy staring fondly at one of the bikes outside. "This is my sister, Nicole."

Frank walked out from behind the counter and pulled Nicole into a tight hug. "How have you been, Nicole?"

She returned the hug widely. "I'm good, Frank. Better than I've felt in a while, now."

"Hold on. You know each other?"

Frank gave me a confused look. "Of course we do. She used to come in here all the time and bug me about that bike."

"I see you saved it, like I asked."

"Of course, kiddo. You were always my favorite customer."

"Wait, wait, wait. If you knew her, Frank, why didn't you say anything when I first came in for my bike?"

"Well, I figured, if you didn't remember your own parents, you wouldn't remember Nicole, either. You seemed so down about not remembering Dillon and Sandra, I didn't want to worry you any more than you already were."

I raised my eyebrows. "That…makes a lot of sense."

He roared in laughter. "I may be old, but I ain't stupid!" He looked back at Nicole. "So, is it that time?"

Nicole nodded and gave me a pleading glance. "Ali…?"

I frowned at her. "I know that look. You want something."

She pointed at the bike. "Will you buy it for me?"

"No way in hell."

"Why not?"

"You don't have a license, first of all. And second, motorcycles are dangerous. I don't want you riding one."

"Do you have a license?"

"Yes, I do."

She cocked an eyebrow. "A _motorcycle _license?"

"Well…no, but…"

"No buts. And even though they're dangerous, you still ride one." She gave me her iciest glare. "No one likes a hypocrite, Alannah."

I gritted my teeth. "…Fine. I'll buy you the damn bike."

Her glare melted into a wide grin and she rushed forward to give me a bear hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I just rolled my eyes and hugged her back. "Don't get used to it. And don't think that I'm gonna start buying you whatever you want just because you glare at me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Uh huh. So, Frank, should we take care of that paperwork?"

He smiled. "No need. I took care of it years ago."

"Really?" Nicole looked surprised.

Frank nodded, his smile widening. "Of course, kid. I always knew that bike was gonna be yours someday."

I shook my head. "You always knew that I'd give in, huh?"

"She'd always get you to do whatever she wanted. She's dangerously persuasive."

Nicole mocked insult. "I am not!"

"Sure you aren't." Frank went into his office and rummaged for a minute. When he came out, he was swinging a key on a ring. "So, you all ready to ride that beauty?"

"Hell yeah!" My sister grabbed for the key but I took it first. At her frown, I grinned. "I said I'd buy you the bike. I never said I'd let you drive it."

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Frank laughed heartily. "Very clever, Alannah."

"I thought so too."

"Really, Ali? You're not gonna let me drive it?"

"Maybe…"

"That's what I thought."

"…in ten years or so."

"You're such a bitch."

* * *

"You know, now I see what Cora was talking about."

"What do you mean?"

I indicated the several bags I was carrying. "I don't think I've ever seen someone buy so many things."

"Well, you had me riding all over town, wasting the gas in _my _bike."

"You mean, _my _gas and _my _bike, right?"

"I didn't stutter." She ran a hand through her hair. "Call it emotional shopping."

"That's what I said, too. Now I'm realizing how stupid it sounds."

"It's not stupid, it's actually a thing!"

"I doubt it."

"You doubt everything that comes out of my mouth."

"Gee, I wonder why?"

Without even realizing it, we'd come to the entrance of my apartment. When I opened the door, it revealed the faces of all of my friends, even Derek.

I dropped the bags on the floor near the door and nodded my greetings. "What's up?"

Cora stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Ali," she whispered into my ear.

I traded a confused look with my sister over Cora's shoulder. "What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?" I said as I released her.

She bit her lip softly and I could literally feel the waves of hesitance radiating off of her. "What is it, Cora?"

When she didn't answer, a flare of anger sparked in my chest. "Tell me, dammit!" To her credit, she didn't even flinch when I yelled, only fixed me with a sharp glare. "Don't start with me, Ali."

I shook my head. "Sorry…just please tell me what's going on?"

Derek stepped forward, slightly in front of his sister. His stare was hard, probably due to my mini outburst, but there was also sympathy in his gaze. "You'd better just watch," he said, jerking his head toward the flat screen.

The T.V. had been paused. A reporter was standing in front of what I recognized to be the motorcycle shop. A feeling of dread swept over me as I took the remote from a sad-looking Isaac and pressed play.

"…owner of the shop, Frank Tibbins. The wounds were rather extensive and seemed to be made by some sort of feral creature. Unfortunately, Mr. Tibbins seems to be the victim of yet another random animal attack here in Beacon Hills."

At that point, the sound cut off completely; I'd thrown the remote into the T.V., shattering the glass.

No one said anything as I stood there, shaking with barely contained anger.

I already knew who'd done it; there was no such thing as random animal attacks in Beacon Hills.

The silence was suddenly interrupted by a frantic knocking at the door. Cora, after flashing me a warning look, strode over to open it, revealing the slightly worried face of Ethan.

"Alannah-." He was unable to finish whatever he was going to say because I'd ran over, grabbed him by the front of his sweater, and thrown him back into my apartment. He was barely able to jump to his feet before I charged him again, bringing up a knee to connect soundly with his stomach.

At this point, the others jumped into action. My sister grabbed one arm, Boyd grabbed the other and Cora stood in front of me, shaking her head.

"Who was it?!" I roared at Ethan, my mind practically screaming at me to murder everyone in the room. "Was it that barefooted bitch Kali or that fucking blind sack of shit Deucalion?! ANSWER ME!"

Nicole let go of my arm, allowing Isaac to take up her mantle, and gently pushed Cora to the side. "Alannah, you need to calm down."

"Don't you dare try and tell me what to do, you ignorant little-!"

A resounding slap pulled me from my rage and I blinked. When I realigned my gaze with Nicole's, I realized then that her eyes were glowing and her fists were clenching and unclenching; clearly, her emotions were threatening to rage out of control as well.

"I see you noticed," she said sarcastically.

I growled at her. "It's not the same."

"Isn't it? He was just as important to me, Alannah. Don't try and pretend he meant less to me than he did to you. It may have been a different relationship, but that doesn't matter."

I nodded slowly, letting her words sink past my anger. "I'm sorry." Looking over her shoulder, I grimaced apologetically at Ethan. "Sorry, Ethan. I shouldn't have tried to take my anger out on you."

He nodded grimly. "I understand. I'm sorry that it happened, Ali."

"It's not your fault." Isaac and Boyd finally released me and I rolled my shoulders. "Whose idea was it?"

Ethan didn't respond immediately and I frowned. "Ethan…"

"…It was both of their ideas, in a sense. Kali was looking for revenge for what happened that night and Deucalion was looking for a way to send you into a rage. Looks like it almost worked, too."

"Lucky for all of you it didn't."

He nodded again. "Lucky for us…I am sorry, Ali. I didn't know they would actually go through with it."

I shook my head. "When are you going to realize that those two are pure evil?"

"You know what he did for Aiden and I."

"That's not a good reason anymore."

"You wouldn't understand. It may have been easier for you-."

"You think it was easy for me?" I asked lowly. "You think it was easy to watch the man I considered a father nearly kill me? Watch him turn his back on me? Cast me aside like I was nothing? And to think that I believed it was my fault. That I'd somehow failed him."

Stepping closer to Ethan, I continued. "It wasn't easy, Ethan. Far from it. But I came to realize that what he's done, what he's planning, whatever it is, is inexcusable. You and your brother need to start realizing that you don't owe him anything."

"That's where you're wrong, Alannah. Aiden and I owe him our lives. We can't just turn our backs on him."

"What happens when he turns his back on you, then?" I challenged. "If he was willing to do it to me, what makes you think he won't do it to you? You guys are nothing special."

When his eyes narrowed, I just waved him off. "You know exactly what I mean, Ethan."

"Just forget it," he said quietly and headed for the door. He paused with one foot over the threshold. "I don't agree with everything he does, but what choice do I have?"

He was gone before I could respond.

* * *

"Cora?"

"Yeah?"

"How many more people do you think are going to die?"

She looked down at me. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think? Those two…they're going after people I care about now. How many more until they're satisfied?"

She stroked my hair softly, thinking. "I can't say, Ali."

I sighed. "I figured as much. I don't know why I even asked."

"I get it. Unfortunately, all we can do is wait it out."

"You know there's another-."

She put a finger on my lips. "Shut up. There's no way in hell you should even be considering that as an option."

"I don't see how I have a choice."

"There's always a choice. You need to stay uncorrupted, Ali, you and Nicole. Otherwise, Deucalion wins."

I groaned into her chest. "I know, I know! I just can't bear the thought of them going after someone else that I care about when I have the means to get strong enough to beat them."

"What about us, Alannah? Your friends that don't want to see someone they care about essentially lose themselves?"

I was going to reply but she spoke over me. "You think they can bear the thought of losing you? You think _I _can bear the thought of losing you?" Her voice cracked.

I stroked her face softly. "You're not going to lose me, Cora."

"How can I know that? Who's to say you won't decide that it's taking too long and you go off and kill someone?"

"You're right; there's no way of knowing, especially now with what's happened."

When she glared down at me, I smiled. "Just hear me out. While there isn't any way of knowing, you, along with the others, are just going to have to trust that I'm smarter than that. Besides, I'm sure all of you will be around to kick my ass if I even try."

She snorted. "You got that right."

"See? That's why I lo-." I stopped abruptly as I realized what I'd almost admitted to. Cora noticed and was looking at me inquisitively. "Ali?"

"Uh, nothing. Never mind." I could feel my cheeks flaring up and quickly stood from the bed. "I'm gonna go shower."

A flash of sadness graced her face before she gave me a small smile. "Alright."

I basically ran into the bathroom and closed the door, leaning my head against the cool frame.

I had nearly admitted that I loved her. There was no doubt in my mind that I had fallen completely, head-over-heels, no room for rebuttal in love with her, but how was I supposed to tell her that? And worse, what if she didn't feel the same? I know she cared about me, that much was obvious, but was it love?

I groaned softly under my breath and shook my head; I was thinking too much about this. In time, I would tell her. When it was right.

I made sure the shower was as hot as I could take it before removing my clothes and stepping in. A small sigh escaped me when the heated jets of water hit my skin. There were few feelings in the world better than this.

With all the steam the high temperature created, I failed to see the shadowy figure approaching slowly. It wasn't until they stepped inside that I noticed. "Fuck, Cora, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," she responded unapologetically. "You should have sensed me coming."

I moved over slightly so she could get under the water as well. "You know me and hot showers."

"Yeah, yeah, you get completely immersed, whatever. You should probably work on that."

"How many times do you think, if ever, I'm going to get ambushed in the shower?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

In response, she surged forward and connected our lips hungrily. The force pushed me backward into the tiled wall and I grunted into her mouth. When she broke the kiss, she moved her head back only slightly.

"With me around, I'd say those odds are pretty high," she said with a seductive smile.

I smirked back at her. "And I have to say that I'm alright with that."

I then hauled her up by her ass and spun us around so that her back was now to the wall. Her legs wrapped strongly around my waist and one hand tangled in my hair while the other maintained a death grip around the back of my neck.

I leaned in close, our lips centimeters apart. "You know, I did come in here to shower."

She smiled. "You sure about that?"

* * *

Frank's funeral was held a few days later. He didn't have a large family turnout, only his wife and younger brother. His parents had died years ago and he'd lost contact with the rest over time.

His wife, Mary, sought me out when we arrived and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, sobbing silently into my shoulder.

She released me after about a minute and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to collapse on you like that, Alannah."

"It's quite alright, Mrs. Tibbins. I'm a little surprised you know who I am."

"Frank talked about you all the time. In all the years he'd known you and your family, we've never had the chance to meet until today. The way he spoke about you and your sister…he loved you both like his granddaughters."

"He was a great man and had a good heart."

"I just can't believe he was taken so viciously. The animal that attacked him nearly tore him to shreds." A fresh flow of tears fell from her eyes.

The man with her, Frank's younger brother, took her by the shoulders. "Let's sit you down, Mary." He gave me a short nod and led her away.

I felt Cora walk up beside me and slip her hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. "You okay?"

I shrugged. "It'll take some time, I guess. Let's go find our seats."

Overall, there were a lot tears and sorrow but also quite a bit of laughter. I knew that Frank would appreciate that. He was never one to be serious.

Once all was said and done, I informed the others that I was going for a drive. When Nicole and Cora offered to come with me, I declined. "I just need to be alone for a while, okay?"

Nicole just shrugged while Cora kissed me softly. "Just be careful, please? I know how you love to let your mind wander."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I'll be careful. Don't be such a worrywart."

I bid them goodbye and hopped onto my motorcycle, driving away from the cemetery and headed toward the city limit.

The sky was choked with gray clouds but a small bit of sunshine was trying to peek its way through. When I glanced upward, the sun broke through fully and shined down on the road ahead of me. "Thanks, Frank," I murmured. "But this thing does come equipped with headlights."

The memory of his hearty chuckle reverberated through my brain. Never again would I hear that, or walk into the shop to see his wide grin, or listen to him tell another hilarious story of my dad accidentally setting one of the bikes on fire.

Kali and Deucalion would pay for it. They'd taken the life of an innocent man, whose only crime was being friends with me. There was no excuse for that.

I'd make them pay.

Suddenly, a blur jumped out of the woods to my left and leapt at me, knocking me off my bike. I hit the pavement hard, crying out when I felt, and heard, my leg break.

My motorcycle skidded to a stop a few yards ahead. The air had been knocked from my lungs too so I lay for a moment, trying to catch my breath before I turned my attention to my leg and whatever had attacked me.

When I sat up, the person stepped harshly onto my leg and I screamed. Looking up into their face, I scowled. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Language, Ali…or I break the other one. Or maybe your jaw."

"Fuck you, you nasty-toed bitch."

Kali smiled. "I warned you." Her fist shot out and connected with my jaw, breaking it clean out of its normal alignment.

I couldn't even scream, it hurt so much.

"You know, I never got the chance to repay you for nearly killing me."

I reached up and tenderly reset my jaw, wincing. "You do realize that once I take care of my leg, you're dead meat?"

"Oh, I don't think so. Remember, you kill anyone and you're taking the first step toward losing yourself. Which would be great but I'm not gonna be the victim. Not a chance in hell."

"You won't be able to stop me," I snarled.

"You wouldn't do it. Not with your lovestruck girlfriend begging you not to."

At my glare, she shrugged. "It isn't too hard to take a guess like that." She stepped down harder on my leg and I growled. "Anyway, enough chitchat. It's time."

"Time for what?"

"For you to come back to us, Ali." A new voice came from behind me and I saw Deucalion step about halfway into my peripherals.

I laughed. "I don't think so. I'm never going back with you guys. I have a new pack now."

"Yes, those insufferable teenagers with their incompetent Alpha. They'll be taken care of soon enough. And you're going to do the honors."

"Are you out of your fucking mind? What makes you think I'd ever go against them?"

"What makes you think you'll have a choice?"

I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck and everything went white.

* * *

**A/N: So, that shower scene…I really want that to happen to me one day. That'd be pretty hot, doncha think? Anyway, shit's about to get cray cray, so stay tuned for the update! Which will be out…when you see it :D**

**-DeanneYunFarron**


	13. A Little Gap

**Chapter Thirteen: A Little Gap**

* * *

Her eyes opened slowly and she groaned under her breath, her eyelids immediately snapping shut once she registered the light in the room.

When she'd adjusted, she tried opening them again, this time successfully. The man at the foot of the bed watched her closely, smiling when her unfocused grey eyes landed on him.

"…De-Deucalion?"

"Alannah. How are you feeling?"

She shook her head softly, swiping her brown hair out of her eyes. "I'm really tired, actually. What happened?"

"You crashed on your motorcycle, Ali. You need to be more careful."

"What? I don't own a motorcycle." She rose off the bed, frowning slightly. "What really happened, Duke?"

He made an effort to sigh dramatically. "You were attacked."

One eyebrow rose. "Attacked, huh? Who was it?"

"The ones who killed your parents."

Her frown deepened. "Who was it?" she asked more forcefully.

"Derek Hale, and his friends."

"What? Why would they do that?"

"You were a threat to them. They wanted to eliminate you."

Her frown softened slightly. "That just…doesn't really seem to make sense, Duke. That doesn't sound like him, from what you've told me."

"Remember, Ali, we don't know too much about them. It was just as much a surprise to us as it was to you."

At this, Alannah quickly looked around, noticing an absence amongst her bedside occupants. "Hey, where's Ennis?"

Deucalion feigned sadness again. "They killed him."

Her eyes widened. "No! No, that isn't true!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry, Ali."

She suddenly jumped off the bed and thrust a fist through the wall with a roar. "I'll fucking kill them!"

In her anger, she failed to notice the triumphant smirk that spread across both Deucalion's and Kali's face for a few seconds before Deucalion's practiced mask of sadness reappeared.

"Alannah, relax."

She whirled on him, her eyes ablaze with a silver fire. "Relax?! Don't ask me to fucking relax, Deucalion, they killed him! They have to pay!"

He nodded slowly. "And they will. In time. We must be vigilant, but patient as well."

She sighed, her eyes fading back to normal but her fierce scowl still in place. "Fine, fine. What do you suggest, then?" she ground out.

"You go back to them and pretend like nothing has happened."

Her eyebrows hit the roof. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

It was the moment of truth. "Do you not remember, Ali?"

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"For the past month, you've been living with them, becoming their friend. When we discovered Derek was responsible for killing your parents, you agreed to this."

"I don't remember any of that, Duke."

"That doesn't…hmm, wait. Your head took the brunt of the attack, so perhaps your short term memory has suffered for it."

She raised to her forehead slowly, lightly brushing the skin. "That would make sense, I guess…" Dropping her hand, she sighed heavily. "I just feel so confused, Duke. All of this that you're telling me, I don't remember any of it. It's like the last few weeks are just a giant black hole."

Deucalion approached her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "It's okay, Alannah. I'm just glad you're alright. I was worried about you."

She covered his hand with her own, smiling. "Thanks, Duke."

"Of course. You can stay here for another day if you'd like before going back to them. I'd hate for all of your hard work to go to waste if you can't keep up the façade."

She grinned. "Oh, don't you worry about that. I'm a pretty good actress." Her grin grew dark. "Besides, I'm just _itching _to get my revenge for what they've done."

* * *

Cora looked at her watch again. "It's been hours. Where the hell is she?"

Nicole, from her reclined position on the couch, looked up from the video game for a moment. "Relax, Cora, I'm sure it's fine. She's probably got a lot of thinking to do."

"I'm starting to worry."

Nicole turned her attention back to the game. "Geez, you think you'd just take my word for it."

"What do you mean?"

"She's my sister, ya dolt. I know her best. This is just how she is; she'll go off for hours alone. It's how she's always been."

"Forgive me for not trusting you implicitly."

"It's alright. I'm a rather forgiving individual, I'd say."

"Clearly…"

The younger girl let out a string of curses.

"What? What is it?"

"Damn it, man! Fucking Shepard! Just _has_ to go off and die and now I've gotta start the whole damn thing all over again!"

Cora rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you'd get so worked up over a video game."

Nicole snorted. "Ha! You think this is bad? Just imagine if it was Ali instead of me. Shit, she'd be cursing up a storm for ten minutes straight."

Cora laughed softly. "That much, I can definitely take your word for."

"I guess something's better than nothing," Nicole quipped.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, broken only occasionally when Cora would sigh or Nicole would curse at the game.

"Hey, Nicole?" Cora spoke up suddenly.

"What's up, Red?"

Cora cocked an eyebrow. "Red?"

"Yeah, it's my nickname for ya."

"Uh…why?"

Nicole turned to give her an 'are you stupid?' look. "Because your hair is red, dumbass."

"My hair is auburn, _dumbass._"

The younger girl frowned slightly. "Yeah, well, I'm not gonna go around calling you 'Auburn,' it sounds weird."

"Why don't you just call me by my name, then?"

"That's no fun, Red."

"Anyway…I have a question for you."

"I may have an answer."

"What was it like, with the hunters?"

Nicole remained silent for a few moments, a faraway and pained look in her eyes. When Cora noticed, she tried to backtrack. "I mean-you don't have to-."

"No, no it's cool," Nicole cut her off. "I guess you're never really prepared for that kind of question, huh?" She paused the game and brought her knees up, resting her chin on them. "Before I answer, why do you wanna know?"

Cora shrugged. "It's no surprise that they tortured you. You were in captivity for four years; that's no easy feat to get through. I'm just wondering how you managed to stay sane and overcome it."

Nicole smirked. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say we're starting to bond."

"Would that be so bad?"

"No, not really. You seem like a pretty cool chick. But only pretty cool." Her smirk grew at Cora's light snort before it dropped off her face. "Let's see…you know, I'm not entirely sure myself. In the beginning, it was the thought that Ali would come and rescue me. That alone kept my head up. But, as the years started adding up and I began to lose faith, I guess it became more about revenge. I wanted to hurt-no, I wanted to _kill _them for what they'd done to me. Anger is a pretty powerful force, in my opinion. People are capable of all sorts of evil thoughts and actions when they're in a rage. Add on that I'm a werewolf and I was tortured by the sworn enemies of werewolves, and…well, it's not rocket science."

Cora looked thoughtful. "Okay, that makes a lot of sense. But, when Ali did finally come and rescue you, why didn't you take your revenge on them then?"

"In case you'd forgotten, I was barely able to stand after a couple minutes. Besides, all of my anger was directed at my sister; I'd sort of forgotten about the hunters. By the time I remembered them, we were already back in Beacon Hills." Her words weren't spoken maliciously or anything, but simply, as if stating a well-known fact.

Cora raised her eyebrows at this. "I still can't really understand how you act so calmly about it."

Nicole shrugged. "I was always the calmer of us two."

"Now I know that isn't true."

The brunette chuckled. "Guilty as charged. Nah, I was always more impulsive and headstrong; in this, however, I handled it a lot better than she would have."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, you saw how pissed she got when she found out Frank was killed. If we hadn't stopped her, she would have torn Ethan apart in her anger."

"You think she would've killed the hunters." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"No doubt in my mind."

"Hmm…then it's a good thing it was you and not her." Cora quickly grimaced. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that-."

Nicole waved a hand. "Relax, I know what you mean. Just don't let it happen again."

"You sound just like Ali."

"We are sisters."

"_And _masters of the obvious? That's just too much."

"Your sarcasm is sweet, Cora. I can see why Ali likes you so much," Nicole teased.

"Nah, I think it's more about the fantastic sex I give her."

"Oh, goodness. I think my ears just melted."

* * *

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was standing in front of the door to my apparent apartment. So much has happened that I can't remember and it was infuriating! An entire month was just…gone.

According to Deucalion, I had quickly been inducted into Derek's group. I had made it seem as though Duke had cast me out, which earned their trust.

One of the biggest worries for me was the revelation that I was in a relationship with Cora Hale. Cora fucking Hale. Derek's younger sister. Why the hell would I allow myself to get involved with a girl who probably had a large hand in the death of my parents and Ennis? That really boggled my mind.

Duke insisted that I did it for the good of the Alpha Pack. He claimed that the feelings were not real, which made me feel better about it all.

The other biggest thing was that I had a _sister_. I don't ever remember having one; but, to be fair, I don't remember my parents either. So that wasn't as far-fetched as the whole Cora thing. Deucalion said that she too had been involved in my parent's death.

From what it seemed, everyone was a damn enemy.

_Come on, stop being a coward. Get inside and make it happen!_

One final deep breath later, I was inside the apartment.

"Ali!" One of the two other occupants immediately rushed into my arms and gave me a brief kiss. Well, this was clearly Cora Hale. When she pulled away, she looked at me worriedly. "I was about to send out a search party! Where the hell did you go?"

"I ended up driving a bit too far and got a little lost," I relayed. Duke and I had already come up with a believable story for why I was gone for so long.

She shook her head softly, a small smirk on her face. "You and your thinking; always getting you into trouble."

"You sure you didn't just get your ass beat and had to recover, sis?" the other girl joked.

It took me a split second to force a grin onto my face. "Hah, you wish. There isn't anyone strong enough to take me down."

"I bet I could," she shot back.

"I'd like to see you try," I snarled.

She jerked back as if she had been hit. "Dude, I was fucking kidding. Chill, huh?"

I blinked quickly, chasing away a sudden rush of anger. "Sorry, I've got a bit of a headache," I lied. "Didn't mean to scare you," I unconsciously added with a cocky smirk.

_Whoa, where did that come from? She's an _enemy_, Alannah, don't joke around with her!_

My sister grinned back. "The day you scare me is the day that pigs fly."

I just shook my head. My inner voice was right; these people were responsible for the death of my parents and for attacking me.

They weren't my friends and I wasn't theirs.

A soft hand pulled me from my musings and I looked down at Cora. "What?"

"Are you alright? You seem…off."

Had I already blown my cover? "I'm good. Like I said, just a headache." I added a smile at the end of my words to soften them.

It worked. She touched my forehead lightly. "Why don't you lie down? I'll bring you something for the pain in a minute, okay?"

I sincerely hoped my complete surprise didn't show on my face. "Uh, yeah. Thanks."

I escaped into the master bedroom with nary a second thought. I removed my clothes and got under the covers, pulling them up to my midriff. Intertwining my fingers behind my head, I stared at the ceiling.

Something didn't feel right. Cora and Nicole both had a hand in my parent's deaths yet their voices were filled with nothing but genuine feelings. I don't know why but a part of me felt as if that shouldn't be. Faking feelings is no easy feat but trying to lie or fake when a werewolf is around is pretty much impossible.

_Are you doubting Deucalion?_

"No, of course not!" I practically shouted. I smacked my head back against my pillows right when Cora walked in with a glass of water.

"You know, if you've got a headache, that probably isn't the best idea," she joked.

I rolled my eyes. "Har, har. You slay me with your humor."

"Oh, don't be a sourwolf. Take these pills and just sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up.'

I took the pills and popped them in my mouth, taking a big gulp of the water to wash them down without thinking twice. Cora gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

_**What the hell were you thinking, girl? Those pills could be sedatives!**_

"Would you shut the fuck up, please?" I growled.

_**Oh, look at you, acting all tough. If I could get out of here, I'd kick your insignificant ass.**_

I sat up quickly. "What the fuck? You…you just talked back to me…"

_**Your mastery of the obvious is astounding.**_

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" I cursed lowly. "Why the hell are you talking back to me? Who the hell are you?"

_**Why should I tell you? You're just some puny insect that's benefitting from my strength.**_

"What are you talking about? What strength?"

_**What do you mean, what strength? Don't tell me you've already forgotten what that doctor told you?**_

"Again, what are you talking about? Who the fuck are you?" I was growing angrier by the minute.

_**My name is Hati…but you probably know me as the Moon Hound.**_

"And what the hell is a Moon Hound?"

_**Okay, what happened to you? You were informed of your 'special' powers not a month ago.**_

"…I don't remember anything from the last month."

_**Well, that would explain it. You truly have no recollection of anything?**_

"Isn't that what I just said?"

_**You'd better redirect that anger elsewhere, lest you incur my wrath.**_

I snorted. "I'm not afraid of you."

_**You should be. My power is nothing like you've seen.**_

"Don't you mean my power? You're stuck in my head, or whatever. You have no strength," I snarled.

_**While that may be slightly true, I still control how much of my power you receive. If you anger me, I will set you on the path of no return.**_

"What the hell are you talking about now?" I asked exasperatedly.

_**Why don't you ask that doctor?**_

"You mean Dr. Deaton?"

_**If that is his name, yes.**_

"I don't trust him. I don't trust any of them."

_**How can you not? They are closest to you**__._

"No, my pack is closest to me. These people are murderers and will pay for what they've done. All of them."

_**Your memory truly is twisted. Deucalion and the one named Kali killed your parents.**_

"That's a lie!" I nearly yelled. "Deucalion is like a father to me! I don't care too much for Kali, but…"

_**Heh. It's clear you won't believe me anyway.**_

"Damn straight I won't. I don't care who you think you are."

_**It is alright. The truth will make itself known soon enough and you will be all the more the fool.**_

"Fuck you."

_**Mark my words, Alannah Gealach, if you continue along this path, you will forever regret the outcome.**_

"Mark _my_ words, whoever or whatever you are…_fuck you._"

* * *

"Deucalion…I think we have a slight problem."

"What is it, Ali?"

"Uh, I don't really know how to say it…"

"Just tell me, Alannah. You can trust me, remember?"

_**No, you can't.**_

_Shut up._

_**Believe it or not, girl, I'm actually trying to help you.**_

_I don't need your help._

_**Heh. You will, girl. As I said, mark my words.**_

_Fuck you._

"Alannah? What's going on?" Deucalion's voice broke through my exchange.

"Uh, sorry. This is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'm listening."

"So…well…uh…"

"Just get to the point, please, Ali. I have other things to take care of."

"So, there's this voice in my head that calls himself Hati, or the Moon Hound. According to him, I have his strength and powers and he's also saying that what actually happened this last month is completely different from what you've told me and that I shouldn't trust you," I blurted quickly.

A very quick flash of anger passed over Deucalion's face, so quickly that I barely noticed it.

_**You see, girl? He's angry. He knows I speak the truth.**_

_You ever met someone that's happy about being accused of lying?_

_**It seems you have an excuse in his benefit for everything.**_

_Well, forgive me for being reluctant to trust the voice in my head. Shit, I sound like a crazy serial killer type._

"Alannah, do you really believe this…voice in your head over myself?"

"No, no! I just…I don't know, Duke. If this guy is as all-powerful and such as he claims, what reason would he have for lying to me?"

Deucalion shook his head. "I'm slightly hurt that you doubt me, even if it's only a little."

"Believe me, I wouldn't if I could. But there's just this feeling…"

He held up a hand. "I've heard enough, Alannah. I won't allow you to have to go through this." He approached me slowly, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I think I may have a way to make it easier on you."

I cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Give me your power. I can take away this turmoil that plaguing you. As your leader, and as your friend, I want to help you. Just let me."

* * *

**A/N: It's been some time, hasn't it? I apologize, my friends. College is really starting to take away most of my free time **** I don't know when the update will be out but I'll try and lessen the time gap, eh?**

**-DeanneYunFarron**

**P.S. What the heck happened to all my trusty reviewers last update? Y'all just disappeared on me!**


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